Frontenac County draft budget - 3.8% increase

Jeff Green | Feb 02, 2014

Treasurer identifies potential cuts to cover the increase

In the preamble to the draft 2014 Frontenac County budget, Treasurer Marian VanBruinessen referred to a directive that Council passed in December. The directive asked her to present two alternative budget scenarios, one with a 1% increase in taxation and another with a 1% decrease in taxation. The directive also said that the practice of using reserve funds to offset taxation should end. In 2013, $150,000 (which translates to 1.86% of the budget) was transferred from reserves to offset taxation.

Describing the directive as “not clear in its wording,” VanBruinessen said that “as the strategies required to bring forward budget scenarios in line with Council’s direction involve substantial policy decisions, staff has provided discussion items for consideration … directions for discussion will provide strategies that might be pursued by Council to move towards the 1% reduction or 1% increase."

The draft budget that is being debated by Council this week provides for a requisition of $8.48 million, an increase of $316,000 (3.88%) over last year.

VanBruinessen also pointed to items that could be trimmed from the budget. The total value of those items is just under $300,000, which would cover almost all of the increase.

Among the discussions items are the elimination of $5,200 for council attendance at conferences and $7,500 for the end of term warden’s reception. A $10,000 increase in the annual grant to Frontenac Transportation Service is also on the chopping block. As well, the possibility of slowly weaning the budget from a dependence on reserve transfers could be considered. If $50,000 is taken from reserves it would still represent a 2/3 decrease while helping to balance the budget.

Another $220,280 in savings was identified in three different items that Council can only discuss in closed session because they “have contract implications”.

Taken together, these options would save $295,000.

The budget also includes a cost of $1.62 million to county ratepayers for the operation of Frontenac Paramedic Services, a 4.59% increase over 2013; $1.03 million to Fairmount Home, an increase of 2.12% over 2013; and $142,500 for economic development, an increase of 10%.

Frontenac County Council has two blocks of time set aside this week to discuss the budget. If necessary, they will meet again in early February with a view towards approving the budget at their regular monthly meeting on February 19