Dear Editor,
In his June 17, 2021 letter, Bill Cameron expressed his opinion that the number of staff has a direct correlation to high taxes of the Municipality of Meaford. The recent release of the 2021 census by Statscan adds new context to Mr. Cameron’s opinion.
The census was done between 2016 and 2021. The population grew by 4.5%, (2021 – 11,485) – (2016 – 10,991) equals 4.5% and dwellings increased by 4.3%.
The number of full-time employees increased by 16, (75-59) which represents a 27% increase during the same time period as the census.
Chatsworth population increased by 6.8% and dwellings 3.5%, while Georgian Bluffs population increased by 5.9% and dwellings 3.9%. According to the Financial Information Report, both Chatsworth and Georgian Bluffs did not increase their full time staff.
Chatsworth and Georgian Bluffs do not list any coordinators on their organization chart. A 2020 Meaford organization chart lists 13 coordinators, with a linear and non-linear capital coordinators added in 2021 and a new coordinator requested in the 2023 budget. If my counting is correct, Meaford will have 16 coordinators at the end of 2023.
Fifteen (15) manager positions are listed on the 2022 organization chart, with some positions having only one full-time position report to them.
Perhaps, Mr. Cameron was onto something.
Regards,
Douglas Robinson, Leith
