Wainfleet council trims budget to 4.11% hike
An error in Wainfleet’s 2018 budget proposal saw a big expense taken off the top before council was even able to start making cuts.
That led in part to a proposed increase of 8.5 per cent dropping to 4.11 per cent by the end of discussions Tuesday, said the mayor.
“Adam ( Cross, manager of corporate services, treasurer and clerk) came to us with good news … something was in the budget twice,” April Jeffs said.
The mayor said there was subsequently a lot of discussion Tuesday on each of the 23 capital projects contained in the township’s proposed budget.
Two of those capital items were a skate park, at $ 143,000, and a walking trail around the Wainfleet Arena complex.
The walking track was projected to cost $ 104,000 and would begin at the ball diamond parking lot and extend to the soccer field. It would then encompass the main soccer field encircling from Side Road 20 to the tractor pull track and main roadway. Its purpose, a staff report said, is to accommodate free, “unstructured recreational physical activity opportunities that support a healthy lifestyle ( improved health, fitness, strength and mental well- being) and promote a healthy community.”
“We cut the walking trail and the skate park.”
In addition to those items, Jeffs said the township also cut a number of grants requested by various community groups.
“People were asking why our grants were so high,” said Jeffs.
The budget had set aside $ 56,094 for grants to such groups as Wainfleet Agricultural Society, Waterfront Regeneration Trail, Niagara Health’s OneFoundation, Save the Welland Hospital, South Niagara Rowing Club and others.
“We took $ 10,000 off of the grants,” the mayor said, adding one of those dropped was to South Niagara Rowing Club. She declared a conflict on that portion of the discussion as her one of her sons is a member of the club.
After two hours of discussion, council brought a projected tax hike to 4.11 per cent. It decided to hold off on making a final decision on the budget until its next meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 23.
“We had some questions for staff to come back with.”
Once the questions are answered, Jeffs said there’s still some wiggle room in the budget to reduce spending.