Budget passes at 1.94% increase
Clearview council passed the 2015 municipal budget Monday but not before restoring a $25,000 transfer to the library building reserve.
The transfer was only one of four budget amendments proposed by Councillor Thom Paterson to be approved.
Paterson also attempted to restore a transfer to the township’s halls reserve fund, eliminate a new communications and marketing staff position and further reduce the $2.4 million administration budget by one per cent.
The library fund transfer passed with support from all council members except Deputy Mayor Barry Burton but Paterson couldn’t even get a seconder for his motion to restore the halls fund, earmarked for future accessibility renos.
Council was split on whether or not to hire a communications officer. With councillors Deborah Bronée, Shawn Davidson and Connie Leishman absent, the motion failed in a 3-3 tie vote (Mayor Chris Vanderkruys and councillors Robert Walker and Doug Measures voted in favour of hiring the communications specialist while Paterson, Burton and Councillor Kevin Elwood voted against).
In the case of the last amendment, to quell what he referred to as crisis-like overspending by reducing the administration budget by $240,000, Paterson could only find support from Elwood.
In the end, Paterson and Elwood did not support the budget, reflecting a 4.12 per cent increase, although it is expected the increase will be down to 1.94 per cent or less once education and county taxes are factored in.
Elwood said he does not support hiring any new staff members at this time because it doesn’t seem like the township is clear on what is needed.
“I think we are jumping the gun,” he said.
Elwood said while there is a perceived benefit to township administration, the public doesn’t see the need.
The discussion, throughout budget deliberations, has been about whether to hire an economic development officer first and if the township can afford more staff at all.
Walker said he hopes a communications officer will help streamline the township’s flow of information and get back to some of the forms of communication the township used to use, like a newsletter.
Burton said he would rather see emphasis on economic development.
“My biggest concern is the lack of income. We need to get development going,” he said, adding that revenue from taxes should cover 60-70 per cent of the budget.
“People are against a new hire. The communication they are looking for is with individual council members.
Burton said he would rather see $25,000 of the library reserve allocation go toward hiring an economic development officer and revisit communication needs later.
“We need one down the road, just not right now. We need economic development.”
When it came to reducing the overall budget, Elwood said it would be beneficial to create a low taxation environment.
“We have to demonstrate further restraint and it’s not a big request. We can’t have it all,” he said.
But some council members felt it was not possible to hack away at the administration budget.
Vanderkruys said it is too late this year, as the township is already into the first quarter and contracts have been signed.
He said the past council should have been looking at reducing spending and a full spending analysis could be conducted as part of a service review. Paterson has given notice that he will be proposing a review before the next budget process.
Treasurer Edward Henley will be bringing forward a bylaw to set the tax rate based on the final budget at a later date.
He said it is estimated taxpayers will see an increase of $55 per household based on a home assessed at $255,783, the average in Clearview Township.
