SLIGHT INCREASE IN 2020 RUSSELL BUDGET
Russell Township ratepayers will pay more tax but less on water and sewer rates next year after council approved the 2021 budget.
A 2.5 percent pay rise was unanimously passed during the council’s meeting on Monday night, adding $332,451 in revenue. The average household, valued at $340,410, would pay an extra $42.77 in taxes next year, but an average $135 saving from cuts to water and sewer flat fees was expected to offset the rise.
Most of that increase, which was higher than the 1.5 percent in the budget’s first draft, would fund road maintenance and improvements to the Recreation Complex Reserve, each of which accounted for 1 percent of the rise. During the motion to approve the budget, Councillor Mike Tarnowski said the measures ensured the council could be proactive with road and recreation complex improvements.
“This is all proper financial planning, we’re really planning for the future rather than reacting in situations facing us,” he said. "We're taking advantages of these savings... instead of leaving it to the next council to be stuck with potential deficits around assets and infrastructure.”
The budget would also fund the creation of new basketball and tennis courts, the resurfacing of the Russell Tennis Courts, and the design and planning of a new sledding hill. An additional hazardous waste day will be added next year after hours-long queues at the last event in October.
A green bin organic waste program, however, was not funded despite a number of public requests during consultation. Mayor Pierre Leroux said a majority of council was not yet ready to support the program as it would lead to an approximate 52 percent increase in waste and recycling fees.
“However, council did give direction to administration and the Environment Advisory Committee to search for alternate less costly options, including potential partnerships,” he said.
Leroux said while the tax increase was higher than the 1 percent rise passed at the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, that decision had come with a series of cuts to services, including the decision not to renew the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail agreement with VIA Rail. The township would need to consider the potential for less federal and provincial funding as those governments grappled with budget deficits, he said.
“They’re getting into significant debt and at one point in the future, they’re going to be turning off the taps for municipalities,” he said. "We're going to have to become more self-sufficient and look at opportunities on improving and discussing our levels of service.”
The budget anticipated a 1.5 per cent cost of living adjustment to staff and council salary grids. It also included $90,000 for potential suspension or cancellation fees due to COVID-19, which would be drawn from grants to support municipalities during the pandemic.