Wellington County officials are saying the budget they passed on Feb. 27 recognizes the economic realities of the times.
Warden Joanne Ross-Zuj said it “reflects the recession.”
The county operating budget is $157.1-million, and the capital budget is another $39.8-million. That means a spending hike of 2.4% and a 1.2% tax increase for the average Wellington County homeowner.
Treasurer Craig Dyer said the average property assessed at $266,000 will see a county tax increase of $46.
Ross-Zuj noted assessments are now set for the next four years, and, when asked what effect falling residential property rates will have on homeowners and the budget, she said, “I wish [the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation] could answer that. She noted many people have been telling her there is no way they can sell their homes for what they were assessed at prior to the economic downturn.
Dyer had more discouraging News about dropping property values when he noted of that situation, “I don’t know if that is going to change much in the next four years.”
MPAC had been shut down in 2005 because of many complaints from homeowners about skewed property assessments, and recently, it announced new assessments for the next four years. It proposed increases in many of those years, but with a dropping market, many homeowners are complaining their assessments are too high.
They do have the right to appeal those assessments.
Dyer said it is likely people “will see an impact in the next assessment” which is set for 2012.
But other than something over which politicians have little control, Ross-Zuj was pleased with the budget for 2009.
She said despite a small tax hike, officials are managing to keep projects going, and the budget did not eliminate any services.
Finance committee chairman John Green told council the budget was pegged at a 4.2% increase in November when council worked on its official plan, and it was reduced to below 3%.
“That’s about as good as we can get,” Green said. “We think we’ve heard the voice of the people as well as county councillors who expressed concerns.”
Green said his committee found savings by doing minimal repairs to the Fergus and Palmerston police stations, both of which could be moved in the next year or two. He said the savings of $750,000 will not throw off the county’s five year capital expenditure plans.
He explained waste diversion cash in the past had been divided evenly between reserves and operations, but this year that changed, and operations received 75% of the money.
Green said the county budgeted for an 40% increase in Ontario Works payments. The county pays about 20% of the former welfare, and the province the rest.
“If it goes that high, we’re going to be covered,” he said.
He noted the new court house in Guelph might not be started this year, so the county held off some of its reserves on that project, and it also placed only $400,000 in the Groves Hospital reserve because the county nearly has its pledged $5-million in place from reserves from previous years.
Green explained another $825,000 was saved by not placing it in the landfill liability reserve account, based on the idea not all the closed landfills will need the work at the same time. The county also increased its tipping fees.
Capital expenditures
Wellington will build 55 units of social housing in Fergus this year, and the $10-million expenditure is expected to be done early next year and create about 2,600 weeks of work.
There will be $13.4-million spent on roads and bridges in Wellington in 2009.
The Elora branch library expansion and renovation is now fully underway, and the county will renovate dnad texpand the Mount Forest Brand this year, and the Harriston branch next year.
There will be another $3.7-million spent on social housing across the county in 2009.
The new county archives will start this summer, at a cost of $4.7-million. The Centre Wellington police office will start this year, and the county plans to spend $60-million on it, through to 2001.
Added services
The county will hire nine new uniformed officers over the next five years.
The 40% hike in social services is considered a worst case scenario. The current caseload is 1,500 people. To put that in perspective, the caseloads in 1990-1991 increased from 1,100 people to 3,500.
The county also added new nursing positions to the Wellington Terrace, more operation hours at libraries in Arhtur, Drayton, and Erin branches; will finish the Mount Forest multi-purpose facility this year, which will centralize services provided by the public health unit, Ontario Early Years Centre, and the county child care centre.
Rural waste and blue box collection will continue in Guelph-Eramosa Township.
Environmental work
The county’s Green Legacy will produce 155,000 trees in 20089, bering the total number of trees planted to 915,000.
A new position with Green Legacy will provide outreach to volunteers and school groups.
Wellington will increase its funding in 2009 to $400,000 for the Rural Water Quality Program administered by the GRCA.
The county will also replace windows and light fixtures at the county administration centre to conserve energy and cut greenhouse gases.
