A moderately-altered 2018 budget was narrowly passed by Centre Wellington council in a 4-3 vote on Dec. 18.
In favour were Mayor Kelly Linton and councillors Don Fisher, Mary Lloyd and Steven VanLeeuwen; opposed were councillors Kirk McElwain, Fred Morris, and Stephen Kitras.
All councillors, who had to wait until the end of the meeting to make final comments, expressed appreciation to staff for their efforts in creating the budget.
Fisher said he was happy to offer his support to the final budget of the current term of council.
“This budget continues the body of work we have done for the past three-plus years,” said Fisher.
He explained council set certain priorities at the beginning of the term, such as work on infrastructure, communications, planning for growth, and to “up-skill” and update the organization.
“We are planning for the future and setting ourselves up and a future council will likely reap most of the benefits,” Fisher said.
Morris, who offered a prepared statement outlining his objections to the budget, said he recognizes the enormous challenge of addressing many needs/interests with limited, and sometimes insufficient, monetary resources.
Morris said part of him wanted to accept the budget because “it is packed with so much enthusiasm and energy for all those operational services and capital projects deemed necessary in order to meet the perceived expectations of the taxpayers.”
However, he added the budget has one inherent flaw.
“I could not help but feel that we in Centre Wellington are stuck in the slough of mediocrity and sameness,” said Morris.
Instead of “imagination and innovation,” Morris said this budget is full of the same old patterns: “raise taxes, hire consultants, add to the staff complement and increase funding to our cost centres.”
Morris suggested more studies and action plans have been launched in the current term of council than perhaps any other since amalgamation.
“It is time to change from our corporate culture, from continuous acquisition and expenditures, to continuous improvement and cost effectiveness,” Morris stated.
He contended, “It is fiscally irresponsible to … go on funding more and more proposals without considering how to become more cost effective in the things we are already doing.”
Morris said “it is my belief we have been reluctant to embrace this particular level of thinking, but it is an inevitable necessity and a better way to craft budgets.”
He concluded he is opposed to the budget “not because it isn’t doing good things, but because it is not doing better things. I believe the people of this community expect and deserve that kind of leadership from their local government.”
Kitras said he appreciates that some of his concerns regarding the budget were addressed, but he still did not support it as a whole.
“For the fourth year, we cannot seem to build consensus … this budget is a divided budget, a symbol that leadership and communication is not present at this council,” stated Kitras.
He acknowledged that only in a utopia is there total agreement, “but to always not agree, and on every budget, is a problem.”
While Kitras did not have an answer to the issue, he added, “I am not the designated leader.”
Kitras said he found it disturbing that an online survey with 79 respondents was used to rationalize hiring a full-time bylaw officer, but the same respondents were ignored when it came to their desire for council to hold the line or reduce taxes.
“It seems like … cherry picking the data to suit your purposes,” he said.
Given the survey represents just 0.38 per cent of the population, “it seems ludicrous to acknowledge [it],” Kitras said, adding survey data “was used to undermine the legally-elected representatives of council.”
He concluded the surveys amounted to “a waste of tax dollars, misinformation and fake News.”
Kitras contended the township could have easily achieved a balanced operations budget and still met the municipality’s strategic goals and objectives.
McElwain said he is adamantly opposed to the 2% dedicated capital levy, noting, “This year we had an opportunity to avoid that and give homeowners break.”
McElwain pointed to last year’s assessment growth of about $650,000, which he equated as equal to what would be generated through a 5% increase in taxes.
Adding in the approved 3.8% increase for 2018, McElwain said the budget equates to a 9% increase in spending.
“We need to start doing things differently, not just grabbing every dollar available,” said McElwain.
Lloyd said “budgeting is never easy and we are never going to make everybody happy. It saddens me that there are disparaging comments made around the process.”
She said council had the power to make changes.
“In the end to hear comment we have not done good work … it makes me disappointed because I feel we had plenty of opportunity to impose the things councillors now feel frustrated about,” Lloyd said.
She said she considers money invested in strategies well spent.
“If we are going to open communities (subdivisions) of 1,000 homes, we have to be ready before they are built,” said Lloyd.
“I 100% support this budget, and I hope those reading understand that we are trying to plan for a successful Centre Wellington.”
VanLeeuwen added that in looking back in the budget process, “we’ve really had an opportunity to be part of every decision and asked for good information to come forward.”
VanLeeuwen said he is concerned there seems to be a lack of understanding of how reserves work.
“They are there to ensure we can continue with our infrastructure work,” he said, noting the township certainly had growth in the past year.
But, VanLeeuwen added, growth comes with increased costs to maintain services and accommodate that growth.
He stated the 2% capital levy is being directed to building bridges.
“I am very supportive of the direction we are heading in,” he said. “I look forward to Centre Wellington keeping up with its infrastructure.”
Linton, who thanked council for the effort put into the budget, noted there were four pre-budget discussions and three full days of budget deliberations prior to the Dec. 18 meeting.
“When it comes to collaboration, councillors have had to opportunity to speak about the areas which concerned them,” said the mayor.
He noted the 3.8% increase for 2018 roughly matches tax increases between 2007 and 2014.
Linton added there is nothing tying the next council to continuing the 2% capital levy, but doing so could result in the building of 12 new bridges during the next term.
“With this level of accomplishment, I am disappointed with the 4-3 vote at every budget meeting,” said Linton.
He said he believes the budget process was significantly altered to accommodate some of the challenges.
“At the end of the day, we are doing the things we said we would do. We are putting money into the backbone of our infrastructure which will bode well for the township moving forward,” Linton added.
“I wholeheartedly support this budget and look forward to another year of getting things done.”
The 2018 budget includes 1.8% operating budget increase and a 2% dedicated capital levy.
The overall 3.8% increase equates to $38.75 on the township portion of the total tax bill for an average residential property assessed at $352,296.
