‘Tis the season

Council gets underway with 2021 budget deliberations

Monday evening marked the start of budget deliberations at Shire Hall. For those with a short memory, during the last budget, council added a four per cent roads levy onto the staff-presented flat budget, meaning County taxpayers paid $40.3 million in property taxes—a $1.8 million increase. At the outset of the 2021 budget, staff is proposing an increase of 3.2 per cent. This is before council makes any changes.

The total proposed 2021 operating budget is $60 million, versus $59 million in 2020. This amount is offset by revenue from various sources totalling $18.5 million. Property taxes must fund the outstanding amount of $41.6 million. The total proposed 2021 capital budget is $9.7 million. This is used for repairs, rehabilitation and reconstruction of things the County owns—assets including roads, bridges and buildings. The capital budget is funded from various reserves and reserve funds ($8.4 million) with the balance funded by grants ($200,000) and debt servicing ($1.1 million).

ROAD WORK
The budget forecasts over $6 million in capital funding to be spent on roads in the County this year. This is down slightly from the $6.7 million budgeted in 2020. Some of the larger items are the rehabilitation of Picton Main Street from Bridge Street to Spencer Street, including the replacement of deteriorating underground infrastructure, the start of the rehabilitation of County Road 4, and $2.4 million to be spent on rural roads for surface treating, crack sealing and other repairs.

WATER WORKS
Budgeting for waterworks—both operating and capital—is tabulated as a separate business. It is entirely funded by consumers through the water bill and by builders through connection charges, rather than property tax payers. The County waterworks utility plans to collect $8.8 million to fund operating expenses in 2020, compared with $8.6 million last year, a three per cent hike. The forecast calls for a seven per cent increase in operating costs for wastewater, up to $2.5 million this year from $2.3 million last year, and a two per cent decrease to wastewater at $3.2 million, down from last year’s $3.3 million budget.

TRUCKS AND SUCH
The County’s fire department is hoping for the approval of a new pumper truck, to match the one purchased last year, at a cost of $397,000. This marks the start of a plan to replace five 2000 model year fire trucks, which would see the last of these trucks replaced in 2027. As well, the roads department is looking to replace five vehicles this year, including two tandem dump trucks with winter implements, a road grader and two half-ton trucks. The cost totals $915,000.

OTHER BITS
Council will also be asked to approve $1.1 million in municipal building improvements, $292,000 in computer software and hardware, $220,000 for other equipment, $525,000 in bridges, $160,000 in studies and $300,000 in upgrades to Shire Hall, which will allow council to return to regular meetings in a safe, physically distanced environment.

Budget talks are scheduled for the remainder of the week, and can be viewed online at pecounty.on.ca. The Times will have a full report on those deliberations in next week’s edition as well as updates on Twitter