North Frontenac sets 2020 levy increase at 3.09 per cent

Craig Bakay | Feb 19, 2020

North Frontenac Council sharpened up its red pencils Friday morning and spent the entire day hammering out its 2020 budget, which should be officially passed in bylaw at the March 20 Council meeting.

They started out looking at a 2.77 per cent levy increase or ($166,648).

But there were a few things Council wanted to add so they started out cutting a few things to make room.

First to go was a $3,000 line item for new Council chairs.

“If we’re going to trim the budget, that seems like a good place to start,” said Dep. Mayor Gerry Martin.

Next to go was $1,025 for a proposed Kaladar/Barrie Joint Fire Department Audit that went down in a 6-1 vote that prompted Mayor Ron Higgins to quip “I guess I’m all alone (in wanting this).”

The Septic Re-inspection program budget was cut by $5,000 as well as $20,000 added as revenue for Trailer invoices.

Council then added $3,500 to the budget for a volunteer appreciation dinner and $10,000 to a revamped Community Grant program. A further $7,500 was added for a dynamic speed sign and $20,000 for grinding of materials at the waste sites. They also added $5,400 for funding of Rural Frontenac Community Services and $2,00 to add pickle ball lines to the tennis courts in Cloyne.

As evening approached, Treasurer Kelly Watkins calculated that they “ended the day with a $186,023 levy increase or a 3.09 per cent increase.”

Higgins also noted an increase in roads spending of $63,409 and expressed surprise that there was very little discussion about it.

“We got the fewest questions about the biggest budget item,” he said.

In the never-got-off the ground category, a suggested $10,000 to install a second entrance to the Sky Pad observation facility wasn’t approved, to which Coun. Vernon Hermer quipped: “We should donate that to Central Frontenac so they can fix up Ardoch Road.”

While there was some discussion concerning what the Township should do about seniors housing, it was decided not to go ahead with anything just yet and Council directed its two County Council reps, Higgins and Martin to inquire if the County might let North Frontenac use funding earmarked for senior housing to use it to attract a retirement residence builder.

One other suggestion that had been floated was the possibility of the Township building a float for the Northbrook and/or North Frontenac Santa Claus Parades. That sort of died on the drawing board when Coun. John Inglis observed: “A thousand dollars donation means I gotta sit on a float? No, I’m not doing that.”