The draft South Frontenac Budget for 2026, which will go to Council this week for a daylong vetting, calls for an added $1.1 million dollars from South Frontenac ratepayers over last year.

This is a 4.6% increase from 2024, but thanks to 1.1% in assessment growth, due to new construction, coming on the tax rolls, the increase on existing property is limited to a 3.5% increase in the tax rate.

Among the largest cost increases impacting the budget are a staffing cost increase of $665,000, a solid waste collection increase of $583,000, $510,000 for assessment management (a pre-planned 2% annual increase) and a $335,000 increase in OPP costs that the township does not control.

The township will spend over $56 million in 2026, including $17 million on roads, $24 million on general government, $3.3 million in policing costs, and $2.9 million on fire and emergency services.

Transfers from reserves, government grants, and other sources account for $21 million, leaving taxpayers to pay the rest, just under $25 million.

In order to bring the budget down, a large project, the reconstruction of Rutledge Road, which has been costed at $4.5 million and was included in a draft capital budget that was tabled in December of last year, has been deferred, as have the purchases of two vehicles, a Wildland ATV side by side, for the fire department, and a replacement SUV for the building department.

The Bedford Mills Bridge reconstruction has been added to the budget since December, however, at a projected cost of $1.5 million.

After the special day-long council meeting this Thursday, the budget will go back to Staff for final revision before returning to Council on February 3, as the mayor's proposed budget.

South Frontenac Council Reject Compensation Proposal

A consultant’s proposal to make changes to the way council members are compensated, by eliminating a $50 per diem for attending township committee meetings, while at the same time raising Council pay significantly, fostered a lot of debate.

The net increase for a member of council in the report was 16%, and this would bring South Frontenac Council to the average out of a comparator group of like sized municipalities that the consultant contacted, while preparing the report.

While Council was mixed over the change to eliminating the per diem and folding that pay into the regular pay, a strong majority opposed the overall increase. Deputy Mayor Ray Leonard, and councillors Pegrum and Roberts all questioned eliminating the per diem, with Councillor Robert noting that it did not seem fair to pay a councillor sitting on one or two committees the same as a councillor who sits on five committees.

The consultant said that the elimination of the per diem was in line with what most of the comparator group does.

Councilor Randy Ruttan and Mayor Ron Vandewal questioned the overall increase, with Mayor Vandewal saying it does not matter what the actual dollar amount is, what the public would fixate on is a 16% salary increase in a time when increases of 2% per year are standard.

“I think we are fairly compensated for the work that we do,” Vandewal added.

A couple of years ago, Council decided to treat themselves as non-unionised staff. Whatever increases unionised employees manage to negotiate with the township, are then applied equally to salaries for non-unionised employees and council members.

Councillor Turcotte read a prepared statement in which he argued that maintaining low salaries for members of municipal councils effectively ensures that only people of means can afford to sit on council. This creates a less representative council, where the interests of the wealthier people in the community have greater weight than the interests of the poorer people in the community.

The discussion of councillor remuneration typically takes place in the final year of a council term, so that any change in compensation does not come into effect for the current members of council.

The proposed increases would have resulted in Council pay in 2027 of $23,000 plus a cost of living increase, up from $20,000 in 2026, a 16.85 increase. The deputy mayor would have received $28,000, up from $27,000, a 3.3% increase, and the mayor would have received $41,000, a 6.8% increase.

The consultant also proposed that council members become eligible to participate in the township staff benefits program, which only applies for those who are under 65.

The entire matter was referred back to Staff, with the understanding that a lower overall increase will be brought back to a future meeting.

Zoning Changes

The first property in question was the Everett Orser estate, located behind the cottage lots lining the SE shore of Knowlton Lake (just north of Sydenham, and unusually, a marl-bottom lake.) The property is 79 acres, with rough terrain, a small lake (Everett Lake) on it and a very limited area where development can occur. An application made in 2024 and reviewed under the former Official Plan had determined a small area near Everett Lane where development might occur. The current proposal is to change the zoning for that area from rural to limited service, a zone requiring a site specific plan with an environmental impact assessment to recognize the unique nature of the property. There were no questions from Council.

A second application was in relation to a waterfront access property on Bob’s Lake. This application is intended to rezone a waterfront lot to permit parking and docking services to cottages on two offshore islands (Ashnelot and Timmermans). Councillor Pegrum asked how many cottages were involved: the reply was ‘one on one Island, two on the other’. Councillor Sleeth asked whether tree-cutting would be required: the reply was “not likely” for the trees are already quite widely spaced, and only six parking spaces would be needed (2 per cottage). There were no further questions.