The first community consultation meeting for the 2016 budget season takes place in Wallaceburg today, January, 19.
The meeting will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Wallaceburg municipal office, at 786 Dufferin Ave.
After presenting the draft budget last week, administration is proposing a 3.29% tax increase.
They are also recommending a total of $900,000 worth of service cuts, including: closure of the Bothwell Arena, closure of the Brunner Centre in Thamesville and closure of the Ridgetown Youth Centre.
While Wallaceburg and Dresden have avoided the early chopping block for the most part, staff is also recommending cutting public works support for community special events.
This could have an effect on Wallaceburg’s signature event, WAMBO.
Overall, North Kent Kent Coun. Joe Faas said he will need time to consider any of 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.”
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.”
At Monday’s council meeting, East Kent Coun. David VanDamme entered a successful motion for council to consider supporting the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campuses proposed Ontario Sustainable Crop Research and Innovation Centre. This would run a tab of $1.5 million if approved during budget.
Two more consultation meetings will be held this week, Wednesday in Tilbury and Thursday in Chatham.
Deliberations will be held January 26, 27, 28 and February 2, 3, 4 at the Civic Centre in Chatham.
