GUELPH – The board of health approved the 2024 budget for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health at its Nov. 1 meeting.
The total budget is $25.1 million and includes funding from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the City of Guelph and the counties of Wellington and Dufferin.
The Ministry of Health pays the lion’s share of expenses, and this year signalled a 1 per cent increase to the base budget.
It has also indicated a 1% base budget increase in 2025 and 2026.
The municipality share will increase by 2.6%.
Salaries are the largest cost area and they are going up 3.75% to a total $19.6 million.
Other operating costs total $5.3 million, bringing the total budget to $25.1 million.
The budget is balanced because pandemic expenses are covered separately by the Ministry of Health, although pandemic relief funds will likely dry up next year, David Kingma, director of administrative services, told the board.
As well, a transfer of $300,000 from the contingency reserve is planned to balance the budget for 2024. This will be replenished in 2025, Kingma said.
“We did that to present a balanced budget, but we hope to find gapping funds,” he continued.
“I think optically the province is aware that with the existing funding model it’s difficult to maintain balanced budgets.”
He added the mortgages on properties in Guelph and Orangeville conclude in 2024, “so that provides an offset.
“In the year 2027, that’s when we see things quite a bit tighter. That’s the year we have our eye on.”
Finance committee chair Chris White said a 1% base budget increase from the Ministry of Health is not enough but will have to do.
The 2.6% increase to municipalities “is a responsible ask,” he said.
“It’s a difficult time with everything we’re facing. We’re still dealing with the pandemic and you’re steering a great path forward.”
