County News
Hiring freeze
Council looks to get a grip on rising costs
How many folks does it take to make Prince Edward County work? Shire Hall will spend 34 per cent more on staff and wages in 2025 than it did just six years ago. The steady rise in Shire Hall’s management ranks and workforce is causing some alarm among council members. It’s not just the rising costs. Some see a structural change at Shire Hall that will be difficult to unwind—that some council members didn’t sign up for.
So it was that Councillor Roy Pennell asked his colleagues last to support a hiring freeze. Specifically, he was looking for a halt to any new, full-time or contract positions beyond what Council had approved in the budget. The freeze would not affect positions posted and advertised prior to February 1.
“We’ve got to be careful on how we move ahead,” said Pennell. “I think we are all aware of the financial state the County is in. I think it is important that people out there know that we are prepared to take a serious look [at our finances] to keep us going in the future.”
Pennell added that if an instance where more staffing was needed were to arise, it could be brought to Council for approval of a new position.
Councillor Phil St-Jean said he understood what his colleague was trying to do, but he disagreed that it was necessary or appropriate.
“I think this is presumptuous,” said St-Jean. “This is a question that should be raised, but not now. We are only two months beyond approving our 2025 budget. We should have had the conversation then, and I think it is a valid conversation to have at the 2026 budget deliberations. Not on the whim of a councillor,” said St- Jean.
Councillor John Hirsch cautioned Council against micro-managing staff. This is the County manager’s responsibility, Hirsch argued.
“I fully trust that our CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) operates within the budget,” he said.
Councillor Pennell persisted. Staff and wages comprise 40 per cent of the operating budget. He said Council should have the means to moderate permanent structural increases to the cost of Shire Hall.
“Every one of us around the Horseshoe owes it to our constituents to [ask these questions],” said Pennell. “The obvious place to start is what is your biggest single cost in this County. If we aren’t willing to do that, we aren’t doing what we should be doing for the taxpayer.”
Councillor David Harrison was also worried about what was happening south of the border and the effect it could have on the municipality.
“A year from now, we might be sitting here having great difficulty meeting our obligations,” said Harrison.
Councillor Brad Nieman’s question illustrated how disconnected Council had become from the operations at Shire Hall.
“Part of the information we need is an organizational chart so we know what we have,” said Nieman.
Mayor Steve Ferguson agreed that Council should always be mindful of spending, but he couldn’t support the resolution.
“I think staff have done a great job of keeping operations on track and [fulfilling] their service functions,” said Ferguson. “We have to rely on the boots on the ground—the directors and the CAO—to identify their needs and build those into the budget.”
The vote was called, and the resolution was passed with councillors Pennell, Nieman, Harrison, Grosso, Branderhorst, Engelsdorfer, and Braney in favour. Councillors Prinzen, St-Jean, Hirsch, MacNaughton, Maynard and Mayor Ferguson were opposed.
@Teena, Councillors all publicly say that they do not read these articles or Comments, or Facebook for that matter, but they do read them. They do not want to be perceived as reading them, because they want to advance the narrative that criticism is unwarranted and anyone who disagrees with them is to be held in disregard at best, and contempt at worst.
One portion of the article that highlights multiple problems with this Council is “Councillor Phil St-Jean said he understood what his colleague was trying to do, but he disagreed that it was necessary or appropriate. “I think this is presumptuous,” said St-Jean. “This is a question that should be raised, but not now. We are only two months beyond approving our 2025 budget. We should have had the conversation then, and I think it is a valid conversation to have at the 2026 budget deliberations. Not on the whim of a councillor,” said St- Jean.
St. Jean’s wording “the whim of a councillor” shows massive disrespect for Councillor Pennell, and makes it clear that St. Jean is all for continuing the massive spending trend, unchecked.
Hirsch’s quote: “I fully trust that our CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) operates within the budget,” shows exactly how disconnected he is from his responsibility as the Role of the Councillor, as outlined in the Municipal Act.
Per Ontario Law: (Reference https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/01m25#BK281):
“It is the role of council,
(a) to represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality;
(b) to develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality;
(c) to determine which services the municipality provides;
(d) to ensure that administrative policies, practices and procedures and controllership policies, practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of council;
(d.1) to ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality, including the activities of the senior management of the municipality;
(e) to maintain the financial integrity of the municipality; and
(f) to carry out the duties of council under this or any other Act. 2001, c. 25, s. 224; 2006, c. 32, Sched. A, s. 99.
Clearly, Councillor Pennell and the other Councillors at least seem to be trying to comply with these requirements. However, the other Councillors, for reasons known only to them, have decided to pursue their own agendas rather than the interests of the constituents that elected them.
Clearly, indeed.
I’m guessing that some of our Councillors don’t read the Comments in the Wellington Times. Pity. They just might learn something.
I posted this fairly recently as a comment on another article. I had requested a copy of the PEC Organization Chart early last year, and the Clerk was kind enough to provide it to me – all twelve pages of it. Kind of answers the question as to why Shire Hall has to rent rooms at another building, doesn’t it…
By my reckoning Shire Hall employs 256 members of Staff (give or take) – as follows – which includes the Chief Administrative Officer. This total does not include our elected part-time members of Council and full-time Mayor.
The Corporation of the County of Prince Edward
Organization Chart
Date last revised: February 9, 2024
Elected Members of Council
1 – Mayor
13 – Councillors
Chief Administrative Office
1 – Chief Administrative Officer
1 – Executive Assistant to CAO – Staff
1 – Executive Assistant to Mayor – Staff
10 – Directors
Finance and Information Technology
1 – Director
2 – Managers
2 – Supervisors
18 – Staff
Operational Services Department
1 – Director
1 – Manager
4 – Supervisors
63 – Staff
Development Services
1 – Director
3 – Managers
1 – Supervisor
26 – Staff
Community Programs, Services and Initiatives
1 – Director
0 – Manager
2 – Supervisors
12 – Staff
H.J. McFarland Memorial Home
1 – Director
1 – Manager
4 – Supervisors
10 – Staff
Recreation and Community Facilities
1 – Director
0 – Manager
3 – Supervisors
27 – Staff
Corporate and Legislative Services
1 – Director
2 – Managers
2 – Supervisors
16 – Staff
Water and Waste Water Services
1 – Director
2 – Managers
2 – Supervisors
16 – Staff
Fire Department
1 – Director
1 – Manager
0 – Supervisors
10 – Staff
Housing Department [update is undated]
1 – Director
0 – Manager
1 – Supervisor
2 – Staff
Last, but far from least, are the three Shire Hall Staff having their salaries being paid for entirely by Base31, courtesy of a contract authorized using her Designated Authority before our present council were elected in 2022 (and I really must wonder if the newer council members were even aware of this), by Marcia Wallace, our Chief Administrative Officer. I believe these three staffing positions are included within the numbers above. This includes:
1 Full Time Staff Position – Application and Logistic Coordinator – Base 31, who reports to the Manager of Planning
1 Full Time Staff Position – Lead Engineer – Base 31, who reports to the Manager of Engineering
1 Part Time Staff Position – Clerk for Base 31 – unable to find this position within the Organizational Chart