Letter to the Editor
Dear Sir,
At the start of this year, our newly elected council, which contains four new members, were presented a 2015 draft budget by staff requesting a 2.8% tax increase for the Municipality. Council advised staff to review and prepare a budget with an increase of no more than 2.4%. On January 12, 2015, staff presented a draft budget with an overall tax increase of 1.79% which will bring an extra $223,000 to our municipal coffers. At first glance, this seem to be a small and acceptable increase when compared to past increases, however I and many others question why any increase at this time is needed at all.
The budget proposes a staff pay increase of $85,000 (2%)and $39,000 in benefits, and in total will consume $130,000 of the $223,000 raised. We should not be opposed to good pay for our staff but over the past six years, our staff have received increases totalling 16.9% whereas taxes have increased by 50%. I suggest a freeze on salaries and benefits for one year.
The draft budget makes certain assumptions, one being that funding from the province will be reduced by $96,600. It does not mention the fact that there is an extremely strong probability that Grey County will return $329,000 to our municipality giving us extra income of $232,400. I suggest that this payment itself removes the need for any increase in taxes.
The proposed base budget increase for Community and Recreation services is 54.6% (or $224,399). There is a wish list such as new windows and siding for the community centre and road improvements for Memorial Park to name just a few but this is a staff wish list, one which has not received due diligence re costing, return on investment, and social benefits. There has been insufficient time for council to fully study and comprehend these proposals and therefore I suggest a moratorium on all discretionary spending by the Community Services and Recreation department. This will provide council time to obtain sufficient facts to decide which direction future expansion should take.
These three suggestions argue the case that there is no urgent need for the 2015 budget to be immediately accepted. The federal government is not presenting its budget until the economic uncertainty has been reduced and the provincial government is attempting to reduce spending by limiting pay increases. Our municipal government should do the same. Our council has four full years before it will be judged on its results and now is the time and the opportunity to apply due diligence to all present and future decisions concerning the management and direction of our municipality.
David Long, Meaford
