Clearview council continued to hash out the 2021 budget during a six-and-a-half-hour virtual meeting Nov. 30.
After hearing from all departments, councillors took an opportunity to add some items. The goal is to get to a budget that council wants to present to the public on Dec. 7.
When Clearview calculates the tax impact on residents, it takes into consideration the rates from all agencies that appear on the tax bill. The municipality collects taxes on behalf of the County of Simcoe, the school boards, and police.
With the county passing a zero per cent increase budget, and the others expected to come in below zero, Clearview works the decrease into its overall tax impact. The result is that Clearview went into its budget exercise with a 1.92 per cent increase.
Councillors spent many hours taking turns adding items to the budget, and directing staff to investigate other initiatives (see list). All of the motions passed easily, with only one councillor voting in opposition here and there.
That is, until the last vote of the meeting, which Mayor Doug Measures assured would be “very impactful.”
In order to get the tax increase back down under two per cent, Measures tabled a motion to reduce an allocation agreed to the year prior to a reserve for affordable housing for seniors.
During last year’s budget deliberations, council agreed to set aside $150,000 in 2020, $250,000 in 2021 and $350,000 in 2022, to bring the dedicated reserve fund up to $750,000 in three years. It was a compromise for Deputy Mayor Barry Burton who proposed setting up the fund, hoping to save $1 million in three years. He hopes the money will put Clearview in a position to partner with the County of Simcoe and developers in the future to create affordable housing, specifically for seniors.
Council was split on the issue 5-4 but Measures was successful in reducing the 2021 allocation by $100,000.
“In this time of COVID, and restraint, to consider reducing our tax burden to the residents of Clearview,” said Measures. “And this particular program, while controversial at our last budget, deputy mayor respectfully, I think it still needs to be flushed out and have further information.”
The reduction will mean there will be $300,000 in the fund by the end of next year, and that is always up for debate during next year’s budget talks.
The budget was at an 1.8 per cent increase at the end of the second workshop. The increase to Clearview’s portion alone is 3.71 per cent.
There will be a public meeting for the 2021 budget on Monday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. The public will be able to join in the Zoom meeting to comment. Anyone interested in participating must register in advance. The budget is posted online at clearview.ca, where there is a link to register. All requests must be received by noon on Dec. 7.
The following is a list of highlights from the budget meeting, proposed by specific council members, that will impact local communities:
Councillor Doug McKechnie:
• Council agreed to fund 50 per cent of the cost of a new furnace, up to $10,000, for Duntroon Hall.
• $2,000 for the purchase of additional radar signs for County Road 91. This will enhance an existing $10,000 budget line for radar signs, including the replacement of two of the mobile signs that were stolen. (from taxation)
• $200,000 be transferred from the tax stabilization fund to be used at the discretion of the roads department to improve the state of gravel roads within the municipality. Councillor Doug McKechnie said he wants the department to have more flexibility and that the money come from the “bloated” tax stabilization fund.
Councillor Connie Leishman:
• $20,000 to cover the cost of traffic signs at the intersection of Hogback Road and Concession 2, near New Lowell. Council had already approved equipment to establish a four-way stop with flashing lights, but had not allocated funding. (from taxation)
Councillor Phyllis Dineen:
• $20,000 to explore options for building a new pavilion at the Nottawa Ball Park, like the one at Gowan Memorial Park in Creemore, including the investigation of using an existing well located in the vicinity, and investigating the installation of proper washrooms, or a better option for temporary washrooms. (from the parks equipment replacement reserve)
• $20,000 be allocated to replenish the now-depleted COVID-19 Community Assistance Fund.
• The investigation of installing a multi-use sports pad for McKean Memorial Park in Nottawa. Staff said the work could be done in-house and a cost for installation would be brought back to council.
Clearview Township had budgeted $75,000 in the 2019 budget for the construction of a sports pad in New Lowell. Only $50,244.12 was used to build the cement pad, so the balance was used to purchase boards for the outdoor rink, which can easily be moved and used in other areas of the park.
Councillor Thom Paterson:
• $50,000 to set up an urban canopy reserve to support the health of trees in the township, with an initial $25,000 expenditure on an inventory of trees in settlement areas. The idea is to support a plan for planting, pruning and care of trees, specifically in Stayner and Creemore. (from taxation)
Mayor Doug Measures:
• $25,000 contribution to the Town of The Blue Mountains’ Joint Municipal Doctor Recruitment and Retention Committee, an advisory committee of the councils of participating towns or municipalities for matters related to the development, implementation and progress monitoring of a sustainable solution for the recruitment and retention of primary care physicians for the committee membership catchment population. (from the economic development fund)
• To save money in the future, Measures proposed directing staff to include closing the Collingwood Street culvert, north of 6/7 Sideroad, as an option. The cost of the bridge replacement and associated roadwork is estimated to be $2.5- to $3-million.
• An increase of $10,000 for additional road painting to add stop bars at intersections, providing an additional visual cue that there is a stop sign. The addition of stop bars cost $40-$60 per stop sign.
• Measures proposed a transit service to Nottawa in partnership with the Town of Collingwood. Staff will investigate and report back.