Five days long

A new council takes a studious and, at times, creative look at 2015 budget

After a long, hard week of deliberation, council arrived not very far from where they started. The tax levy remains at $31 million, pretty much where it began five days earlier. Yet the journey has surely yielded a better understanding of the workings of the County’s finances and the challenges that lie ahead.

The tax levy represents a 4.8 per cent increase over 2014—a 3.2 per cent rise when new additions and increases to the tax roll are deducted from the amount to be raised from ratepayers.

It also includes a one per cent levy, dedicated to building reserves for capital works.

Debates resurfaced from the recent election campaign. Is the fire station in Picton a done deal? (No). Does council really need to set aside $1.2 million for a new, or used, aerial ladder truck? (Probably—though the cost may be lower if a deal for a suitable used model can be found.)

Picton councillor Lenny Epstein was eager to see council meetings streamed online; to be accessible to anyone with high speed internet access. But most of his colleagues couldn’t swallow the $50,000 budget item. Epstein argued it would likely cost much less. He even proposed cutting the budget in half, but there was still little appetite for Epstein’s proposal.

OLD FAVOURITES
There were the perennial questions about how to measure the County’s community development efforts. Freshman councillor Roy Pennell said he wanted more updates. Fellow Ameliasburgh councillor Janice Maynard urged her colleagues to reduce the amount the County grants to the Chamber of Tourism and Commerce. But this decision is one made by the Community Development Commission— comprising residents and business stakeholders.

The County’s manager Merlin Dewing, explained that while council could set the Commission’s overall budget, it could not adjust items within the budget arrived at by the commission.

“That is an authority council has delegated to the commission,” noted Dewing.

Sophiasburgh councillor Bill Roberts urged his colleagues to focus on the bigger picture.

“We are looking at a freight train coming at us,” said Roberts, pointing to the County’s roads and waterworks deficit. “We won’t figure this out by tinkering. It will be done by development. I applaud the work of the department and commission. I am very impressed with the stewardship of this department.”

Another perennial favourite of County budgets is the debate about councillor’s wages. This year, as in most budget cycles, the proposal was proffered to freeze their compensation. Several years ago, council decided to track their pay to cost of living increases. Some maintained this approach had successfully removed the potentially thorny issue from the political sphere and cautioned about returning it there.

Others liked the symbolism—particularly since they were asking ratepayers and customers to pay more.

Bill Roberts said he was attracted to the symbolism, but concluded it was a hollow gesture and likely ineffective in the long run. A majority of council agreed.

County trucks, another durable topic at budget time, also drove a load of discussion. It ran so long Dewing stepped in to remind councillors that while trucks and their use is an important discussion. They were straying from issues relating to the budget.

Some councillors wanted to know if unused fire hydrants in Ameliasburgh could be recycled or removed.

Questions were raised about planned spending of $2.8 million in Picton to extend water and sewer services and capacity to the lands around McFarland Memorial Home—targetted for the development of additional senior’s residences, a new home for the County’s family health team and the potential for a new hospital.

But Works chief Robert McAuley noted that any delay in this work would stop the development. He said phase one of the Nautical Lands project would consume all remaining capacity available on the site.

“If this doesn’t get approved, the age-in-place strategy is shut down,” said McAuley. “No further work can proceed unless this is done.”

Councillor Forrester noted that the Family Health Team is looking to put a shovel in the ground next year.

Some councillors wanted to know whether these waterworks capital costs might be transferred to the property taxpayer rather than carried by just waterworks customers, given that the benefit of the strategy extended to the broader community. McAuley explained that this community interest was embedded in the discounted development and connection charges extended to these projects.

Few councillors quibbled with the goals of the age-in-place strategy.

“It is absolutely necessary to continue to work toward an integrated health campus,” said Roberts. “If we start chipping away at its underpinnings, we put its future at risk.”

The new council’s first recorded vote occurred over the issue of parking in Wellington. Staff recommended setting aside $400,000 to purchase land for parking in the village, and $320,000 for land for parking in Picton. Most could accept buying land in Picton, but others struggled to do the same in Wellington. Ameliasburgh councillor Janice Maynard moved that the budget line be removed from the budget. The ensuing vote resulted in 8-8 tie vote. The motion lost.

BACK TO THE CREEK
McAuley advised council during deliberations that he had recently had correspondence with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and it had given the County the green light to re-route Lane Creek in Wellington as proposed. He was also looking for another $500,000 for the project—raising the budget to $1.7 million—all to be funded from gas tax revenue.

McAuley acknowledged, given the money now involved, his department would take another look at the various alternatives.

He emphasized the view that it is in the County’s interest to take custody of the creek, rather than allow it to continue to flow under private property.

“Private culverts are a risk,” said McAuley. “It is in the County’s interest to mitigate this risk. Could we walk away? The answer is yes.”

But he reminded council that courts would look to the municipality to fix the problem if one of the buildings traversing the creek collapsed.

“We have only to be one per cent liable to be at risk,” said McAuley.

Another recorded vote. Only Maynard was prepared to take the gamble.

Putting money aside in budget doesn’t ensure specific projects will be done or purchases made. Many of the debates touched on last week will resurface in the new year. Deliberations over waterworks rates and fees, ladder truck and fire department will be aired again. This is the starting point of the community discussion.

Council will gather on January 7 with the aim of finalizing the 2015 budget.