The numbers for Erin’s proposed 2016 budget were presented at a public meeting on Feb. 16.
The town plans to spend $13.4 million (an increase of around $186,000 from last year’s budget), $9.4 million of which is for operations and $4 million for capital projects.
Of the $13.4 million expenditure, the town is raising almost $6 million in tax dollars, a 3.87 per cent increasefrom last year.
This translates to a total of $285.31 in town taxes, a $7.07 increase, per $100,000 in residential assessment.
Public questions
While members of the public were able to ask questions on Feb. 16, Mayor Allan Alls told council they would not be answering the questions that night, but would provide answers to the questions before they pass the budget.
Not all councillors were okay with that decision, however.
“I recognize that your preference is just to take questions and answer after the fact but I’m challenged with that response,” said councillor Matt Sammut. “We’re council that has to vote on it I think mumming us or telling us that we can’t say anything …”
However, Alls did not want to discuss that at the time.
“I’m not arguing with you councillor Sammut. We will need to have that discussion amongst ourselves then we will respond,” said Alls.
Some of the questions raised included:
– is the town saving money by not having a full-time manager of operations? Is this savings reflected in the budget?;
– is $5,500 normal practice to hire a consultant to do an insurance request for proposal?;
– do the 2015 actuals of $3,737,813 (for wages) include the severance payments made to employees in 2015?;
– will the 2016 budget include money for video recording council meetings?; and
– how will reserves cover the multi-million dollar debts in the future, including bringing wells online?
Councillors’ comments
Councillors still had a few concerns about the budget.
Sammut wanted council to keep an eye on operation budget spending.
“We’re not fixing the problem of today, we’re fixing the problems of the past and that’s where I think we have to try and step up and figure out ways to find efficiencies,” he said.
Councillor Jeff Duncan asked if council would consider using the tax stabilization fund to decrease the rate by 0.25%, “to show the public that we’re there with them.”
But councillor John Brennan thought it wouldn’t have a big enough impact on taxpayers.
“Dropping things a quarter of a percent, I don’t think is going to make any difference to people,” said Brennan. “And so, what I would rather do … we have some big costs coming up and so when we get to the point when we’re biting off a bigger chunk, that’s when I would really have that money available so you could mitigate the impact in a meaningful way.”
Duncan replied, “The tax stabilization money is money our community has overpaid over the last number of years, so it has to get to a point where you want to use it.”
Council will discuss the budget bylaw at the March 1 council meeting at 1pm.
