North Frontenac Council

Jeff Green | Dec 18, 2014

Perry returned as North Frontenac Deputy Mayor

The first item of business for North Frontenac Council this week, once the ceremonial swearing in was taken care of, was to choose a deputy mayor from among the six men who were elected to Council along with Mayor Ron Higgins. Fred Perry was the first one nominated, by Wayne Good. The nomination was seconded by Micky Hermer. Gerry Martin was also nominated, by Denis Bedard, seconded by John Inglis.

The way the voting was handled was to make a motion in favour of the first nominee, Fred Perry, and if that motion were defeated a motion in favour of Gerry Martin would have been brought forward. That ended up not being necessary. Three hands were raised in favour of Fred Perry, those of Wayne Good, Micky Hermer and Perry himself, and by declaring the motion passed Mayor Higgins indicated that he was voting the same way.

Perry not only served as deputy mayor for the last four years, he was also the acting mayor ever since the death of former mayor, Bud Clayton, in early September.

Councilors' salaries frozen for 2015

The consumer price index for October indicated a year over year increase in the cost of living of 2.4%, and in line with township policy a proposal was made to increase the total amount paid to township staff by that amount. In North Frontenac the total increase is calculated and then divided by the number of employees, who then all receive the same increase. This differs from the way COLA (Cost of Living Adjustments) are normally paid out in institutional settings. Normally each employee receives the same percentage increase, so the dollar value of the increase is greater for the higher paid employees. In North Frontenac the increase is averaged so that every employee receives the same salary dollar value increase.

“As Bud Clayton used to explain it,” said Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson, “a loaf of bread costs the same for me, the highest paid township employee, as it does the lowest paid township employee, and since the increase is all about the cost of living increase, that's the key issue.”

Members of Council, however, will not share in the increase. Councilor Inglis produced a table he has put together, which shows that North Frontenac Council members receive more pay than those in neighbouring townships. The remuneration for a council member in North Frontenac is $15,067 per year. In Lanark Highlands they receive $12,225; in Central Frontenac $12,557; and in Addington Highlands $12,504.

“The question is,” Inglis said “do we want to remain at the top of the heap by taking what would be about a $500 raise for each of us next year?”

Even though Inglis' chart included mileage payments that are made in other townships as part of his calculations, Councilor Wayne Good said there were other payments that Inglis did not include.

“This chart does not compare apples to apples,” he said. “The mileage is not accurate, but I still support freezing our salaries next year.”

Mayor Higgins said that with the township facing budget challenges and “looking at increases in 2015 to deal with policing and other costs, we might well consider sending a message of restraint in terms of our own pay.

Council agreed to increase staff salaries but freeze the pay for council members. The deputy mayor received $18,746 in 2014, and the mayor $22,425. Those who sit on County Council receive another $5,000 and mileage to county functions. Council also decided to keep the mileage rate at 48 cents per kilometre in 2015.

Building blues

The township office has been re-opened and is now fully occupied by administrative staff for the first time since it was hit with an oil leak last February, but the celebrations have been short-lived.

Even before the leak happened, Council was looking at the long term viability of the building, a process that was halted by the leak and the damage it caused. In order for the insurance company to cover the repairs, the building has been bought back to the state it was in before the accident.

Now that the staff has moved back in, an immediate problem has surfaced. A long-standing issue with water and either mildew or mold damage on the exterior wall to two offices has gotten worse. A staff report recommended a stop gap measure for health and safety reasons to replace half the wall and insulate.

Council discussed the issue, and whether it pays to put any more money into a building that might not be viable in the medium term. They decided to replace the entire wall and use foam insulation for the immediate fix.

A report from the consulting engineering company Greer Galloway estimated the cost of bringing the building up to standard for long-term use as a township office at nearly $1.9 million

One of the issues that will be high on the agenda when the new council looks at its long term objectives in the new year will be the future of the township's administrative offices.

A bit of good news

The township will be receiving $89,000 per year for at least three years under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund. The money is targeted at replacing or repairing ageing infrastructure in rural Ontario.

Busy time ahead

Council will meet again on January 6 for a special meeting devoted to strategic planning, forming committees and preparing for the budget process. More meetings are already scheduled for later in January.