Wainfleet taking first look at budget

Wainfleet residents are looking at a proposed tax increase of 8.5 per cent as council heads into budget deliberations Tuesday.

But, said Mayor April Jeffs, that rate increase won’t be the final number once council digs into the 2018 budget, being presented for the first time. She expects it will fall to under four per cent.

Key factors in the 8.5 per cent increase, the mayor said, is a one per cent loss of Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding; lost revenue of two per cent from user fees; and a two per cent infrastructure levy.

“The infrastructure levy goes towards roads and buildings and we’ve been putting that money away for the last few years. Council could cut that down to one per cent.”

Jeffs said there are projects and items in the budget that council suggested and referred to the budget process over the past year, and staff included them.

Twenty- three capital budget items are presented in the report, including: the replacement of the Gents Road bridge; an upgrade to the fire department’s radio system; road resurfacing; a walking trail around the arena complex; an arena floor scrubber and more.

Each of the items makes a business case with a description, benefits, costs, risk, savings, value measurement and alternatives listed.

Gents Road bridge replacement and road rehabilitation and Boyle Road bridge work comes in at a combined $ 1,239,100, with the Gents Road project costing $ 800,000.

“The Gents Road bridge structure is in desperate need of replacement and the road surface is in poor condition. The roads needs study has ranked this as the top priority for repair. The bridge has been reviewed several times for replacement and if not replaced, staff will have to review for restricted use and weight capacity which will be detrimental to businesses utilizing this access,” a budget report from corporate services manager Adam Cross said.

His report recommends the work be carried out.

A proposed stone walking trail around the arena complex is 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.

Said Jeffs, “Some things don’t have to happen, we can roll up our sleeves and figure it out. There are a lot of pieces that can move in this budget.”

She said the 8.5 per cent increase proposed might not have been as high had the township had a chief administrative officer to filter figures. Wainfleet has been without one since the past summer and will be hiring a new one sometime in the near future.

”“I’m not concerned,” said Jeffs, “e’ll get it to a reasonable increase that balances the township’s needs and fiscal responsibility.”