It appears Wallaceburg and Dresden have avoided the early chopping block in the 2016 budget process. However, the same can’t be said for all of Chatham-Kent.
Administration is proposing a 3.29% tax increase and they are recommending a total of $900,000 worth of service cuts, including:
– Closure of the Bothwell Arena
– Closure of the Brunner Centre in Thamesville
– Closure of the Ridgetown Youth Centre
– Closure of the Tilbury and Bothwell scout huts
– Closure of Jaycee Pool
– Elimination of the Communities in Bloom program and position
North Kent Kent Coun. Joe Faas said he will need time to consider these type of cuts.
“I would have to give some thought before I supported those,” he said, specifically mentioning the Bothwell Arena, Brunner Centre and scout hut items. “Staff looks at those to try and get the budget down to the percentage that council looks for. These will be looked at and discussed when we do the deliberations.”
With the overall budget, Faas said he wants to ensure infrastructure is maintained.
“The asset management plan is a pretty important component with the government,” Faas said. “If we don’t have a plan in place our availability to Federal and provincial grants are limited. If we have a plan and don’t follow it, it could jeopardize our ability to get some of those grants.”
Faas said there was nothing he could see where Dresden or other parts of North Kent would be affected by the proposed cuts.
However, he said he would not support cutting the Communities in Bloom funding.
“I think we get a lot of mileage out of that,” he said. “It’s not only the money aspect that we look at with that, but it is the community volunteer involvement that in involved with Communities in Bloom. It helps create pride in communities and brings communities together, as everyone is striving for the same goal, making sure Chatham-Kent as a whole looks good. You can’t put a dollar value on that.”
Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley said the budget presented on Tuesday is far from a finished document.
“Everybody should keep in mind, this is the first draft,” he said.
“Whatever percentages and potential service cuts and things of that nature that are in there, those things can all change and probably will as we end up going through the budget process. We still have to have the consultation meetings and council itself has to start debating the budget. This was staff’s first go at it. I think they have put together a very good document, it’s something worth discussing and we’ll see where it ends up.”
Wesley said he does not see any service cuts that would affect Wallaceburg.
“There are some that would affect some other rural areas, which I’ll take a look at and give some real, real consideration to. I’m a little protective of our rural friends, because I’ve always considered Wallaceburg to be a rural part of Chatham-Kent as well.”
Each and every year, Wesley said there are problems facing Chatham-Kent that doesn’t make the budget process an easy one.
“We don’t continue to have the assessment growth that we should have,” he said. “If we have assessment growth, then we have new revenues coming in and it makes the budgeting process so much easier.”
Wesley added: “Another thing Chatham-Kent has going against it from a budgeting point of view, is geography. We’ve got 830 bridges, we’ve got about 6,500 kms of roads both gravel and paved. It’s a huge municipality and that has a big impact on the budget and what we are able to do.”
Wesley said the budget has an emphasis on economic development.
“That is always a tough thing,” he said. “I always used to say, even when I was Mayor of Wallaceburg, if you had 100 inquiries for economic development, if you have one or two of them coming to fruition that is actually a pretty good batting average.”
“The things that concern me more are what will come in the budget meetings to come. You never know, we’ve got many members of council. There can be things added in, there can be things taken out. You always have to be on guard and look to see what is best for our community and for Chatham-Kent.”
Community consultation meetings will take place this month, here are the details:
These meetings will take place as follows:
Tuesday, January 19, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Wallaceburg Municipal Office, 786 Dufferin Ave., Wallaceburg
Wednesday, January 20, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Tilbury Arena, Ryder Hall, 55 Bond Ave., Tilbury
Thursday, January 21, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Active Lifestyle Centre, 20 Merritt Avenue, Chatham
Deliberations will then be held January 26, 27, 28 and February 2, 3, 4.
