Wellington county council approved a 2.2 per cent hike in its 2014 budget. Council approved the budget hike without discussion at its Jan. 30 meeting.
Councillor John Green, head of the county administration, finance and personnel committee, said several cuts allowed the county to decrease the hike from 4.1% in November and 2.8% in early January.
The increase means $81,125,000 needs to be raised from taxes, resulting in a $14 hike per $100,000 in assessment.
“It will be a flat budget,” Green told council.
The cutbacks that resulted in the lower hike include, $50,000 shaved off the waste budget, $150,000 trimmed (from $350,000 to $200,000) from a matching grant program with the seven lower tier municipalities to allow them to receive funding for any active transportation projects, and deferral of a payment for ambulance service of $245,000.
The county was looking at the $245,000 as its share for ambulance service provided by City of Guelph. City council deferred a decision on its land ambulance response time improvement plan that allowed the county to defer its payment.
The overall county operating budget is $183.8 million which includes the $81,125,000 million raised from taxes. Capital projects for 2014 are estimated at $28.1 million with $15.9 million going to road and bridge work.
“County council has passed a stay-the-course budget,” said Warden Chris White in a county News release. “This budget will continue to protect and enhance core services like roads and bridges and other important county priorities.”
The priorities for the 2014 budget include:
– $15.9 million investment in roads and bridges to maintain a safe and efficient transportation network across the county;
– development of the Wellington Place lands in Centre Wellington to coincide with the construction of the new Groves hospital (plans include land servicing, roadway improvements and the development of a six-acre parcel of lands known as “the Commons”:
– completion and opening of the newly-renovated and expanded Fergus Library;
– renovation and expansion of the Palmerston Library in 2014 and 2015;
– setting aside funds for construction of a new Hillsburgh Library in 2015 and 2016;
– completion of the Trans-Canada Trail by linking Elora to Ariss and the Kissing Bridge Trail;
– completion and opening of the new North Wellington OPP Operations Centre in Teviotdale;
– adding one new OPP Staff Sergeant and two civilian policing positions;
– construction of a new Willowdale Child Care and Learning Centre (to be completed in late 2014); and
– economic development initiatives, including: a new County of Wellington marketing strategy and a county-wide business retention and expansion plan.
“The 2014 county budget strikes a careful balance between managed spending and protecting county services,” Green said.
“This increase will ensure that all county services and infrastructure are maintained and improved, if necessary.”
