South Frontenac goes back to the drawing board as 2017 budget defeated

Justine Thyme | Dec 21, 2016

South Frontenac Township will be without a budget for the first bit of 2017.

A budget featuring a 2.2 per cent increase was voted down at this week’s regular Council meeting in Sydenham.

It was actually a tie vote (there are eight votes on Council currently as Portland representative Bill Robinson passed away last Thursday) with Mayor Ron Vandewal, Dep. Mayor Norm Roberts, Coun. Ron Sleeth and Mark Schjerning each voting against the budget.

For Roberts and Sleeth, the issue was the scrapping of the garbage handling fee in favour of the charge now being rolled into the tax levy. Schjerning said he was voting against the budget “on principle” because “there are a number of things we’re required to do that aren’t in the budget.” Vandewal said he wanted to keep the budget increase to 2.0 per cent.

“I’ve had time to reflect on garbage fees,” Sleeth said. “For things like vacant land, people will be paying garbage tax on that where they haven’t been in the past.” Treasurer Louise Fragnito said that 70 per cent of South Frontenac ratepayers would see a net reduction in the garbage portion of their taxes. Only the top 30 per cent of assessed properties will see a net increase because of the new system.

“I like the budget, there’s nothing magic about 2 per cent,” said Coun. Ross Sutherland.