Centre Wellington council approved its budget on Monday night and taxpayers will see a local spending increase of 2.2%
For a home assessed at $271,510, the tax increase is $22 for this year. With expected county taxes of $50 added on and the education tax seeing no increase, the total increase at that assessment if $72.
The township’s total capital and operating expenses are $34.87-million. The estimated operating expenditures are $25.5-million, and capital spending is projected to be $9.36-million.
Finance committee chairman Fred Morris said in an interview after the meeting, “This was a pretty cautious budget.”
He said council felt the uncertainty of a federal election on May 2 and a provincial election on Oct. 6, because those governments are often partners in municipal projects. He added council decided to “stand pat and not take risks. We’re not sure those partnerships will remain.”
But, he said, he is pleased the township will “maintain all of its services.”
One major challenge facing many municipal councils, particularly larger ones like Centre Wellington, is the reduction of the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grants. This year, the province cut that grant by 10%, reducing revenue by $123,400. That followed a reduction of 20% ($308,500) last year.
Morris told council in a prepared statement, “In my opinion, it would be irresponsible and reckless to spend the resources we may not get in order to pay the cost of projects we have yet to do.
“It was therefore prudent to step back, let the electoral dust settle, and move forward once the future of our financial partnership programs are more clearly defined.”
He congratulated council and staff for the good work they did in preparing the budget.
Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj said, “Our financial plan will continue to move us forward and provide the services that maintain a high quality of life.
“Cautious planning for our future direction was reflected in many of our decisions and this budget prepares us for the challenges of escalating costs in an uncertain economic climate.”
The township has scheduled to do a large number of capital projects this year.
Those include:
– continuing work on a new water tower in Fergus, and demolition of the Forfar Street tower;
– more work on Sideroad 19 in old Nichol township from Beatty Line to Highway 6, including Victoria Crescent and Burnett Court, at the north end of Fergus;
– continuing Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund spending on bridges on Middlebrook Road in Pilkington and the Jones Baseline bridge, in West Garafraxa;
– Elora wastewater treatment plant upgrades and a biosolids storage facility;
– replacing a culvert on 3rd Line of old Eramosa township;
– reconstruction of St. George Streey West, from Breadalbane to Maple Street, in Fergus;
– reconstruction of Hill Street from St. David Stree North to Breadalbane Street, in Fergus;
– implementation of trails, parking, development of new park gateway, tree planting, and naturalization in Victoria Park, in Elora;
– Development of pathways, and gathering areas, installation of playground equipment and landscaping for Pattison Place Park, in Fergus;
– completion of three soccer fields in the Southridge development, in Elora;
– purchase of a new fire pumper and rescue vehicle for the Elora fire station; and
– replacing of streetlight globes and upgrades to lights in downtown Fergus.
The township also set some road rebuilding projects in rural areas:
– reconstruction and rebuilding of the Nichol-Peel Townline and Jones Baseline from the Nichol-Peel Townline to Sideroad 20, in West Garafraxa;
– reconstruction and rebuilding of Sideroad 20, in West Garafraxa from Jones Baseline to 1st Line; and
– Sideroad 10 in Pilkington township from County Road 7 to the 2nd Line.
