Local budget jumps by 3.16%, but impact on ratepayers is mitigated by new assessment

Craig Bakay | Nov 22, 2017

Lovers of ferocious budget debates are likely to be disappointed by South Frontenac’s 2018 budget process.

Although MPAC numbers came in lower than expected — to the tune of needing to cut $44,500 in order to maintain the tax increase Council had mandated, CAO Wayne Orr and Treasurer

Louise Fragnito came into the Saturday morning meeting with a solution already in hand.

A proposed mechanic position for public works and shared with the fire department was budgeted at $41,995.

“I think if we have one full-time competent mechanic, we’re well served,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “Plus a lot of the work a second mechanic would do goes to our local garages.

“Why would we take that work away from them?”

Council seemed to agree and Orr suggested they could easily find the other $2,500 to cut.

“So, we’re done,” joked Vandewal.

Not really.

There was a suggestion that the cuts could come from roads projects until they get a roads master plan completed but that didn’t sit well with Coun. John McDougall.

“We should take the Public Works Department’s suggestions on roads,” McDougall said. “I really have problems with people who know nothing about roads sitting around discussing what we should do about roads.

“That really annoys me.”

“There was discussion about a proposal for a skateboard park/splash pad but the splash pad part was nixed outright.

“There are thousands of lakes in our area, what do we need with a splash pad?” said Vandewal.

In all, South Frontenac plans to spend about $550,000 more than it did last year. Overall, the Township expects to raise $19.17 million through taxation, an increase of 3.16% over last year when they raised $18.59 million.

The budget target that Treasurer Fragnito has established over the last few years, with council support, is not actually based on raw budgetary numbers. It takes into account other factors, such as growth (0.74%), which mitigate the impact of the budget on ratepayer.

Fragnito bases her calculations on the average residence in the township, which was valued at $252,000 in 2017, and whose value has risen to $256,000 in 2018. The owner of that home would see a 2% increase in South Frontenac taxes as the result of the 2018 budget, to about $1531.

It is in the context of the impact of the budget that the township sets a 2% target, even though the budget increase, in terms of real numbers, remains at 3.16% year over year.

Local taxation makes up the largest share of tax bills in Frontenac. Frontenac County taxes then added, as are Education taxes, to make the overall levy to ratepayers, which is then divided out to ratepayers on the basis of the assessed value of their property.

This is the final budget for the current South Frontenac Council. The municipal election next October will result in a delayed budget process for 2019.