County councillor Lou Maieron wants council to consider appointing an ombudsman and auditor general and conducting an overall operational review of the corporation.
Maieron, the mayor of Erin, presented a notice of motion for consideration for the appointments and review that is expected to be discussed by county council at its meeting in January – if he gets the support from one councillor to put the motion on the table for a vote and discussion.
However, moving the motion to the discussion stage may be difficult if response from fellow councillors at the Nov. 21 meeting is any indication.
Maieron has pushed for an operational review in his own municipality and believes a similar review should be done at the county level to ensure taxpayers are aware how the county spends their money.
“I’m pushing for an operational review in Erin,” he told the Advertiser when questioned about his motions. “I think the county should too. In the past 10 years we’ve doubled the take from taxpayers,” he said of taxes going to county services and operations.
He said the operational review is “something a good business does every once in a while.”
At county council, Maieron raised concern about increased spending contained in a five-year forecast from county treasurer Ken DeHart and also about hiring of more staff.
He pointed to planned hiring of staff in the county economic development department. Maieron claims that in the treasurer’s forecast for economic development, the budget will climb from $576,000 this year to $724,000 an increase he claims is about 65 per cent (that increase is actually 25%).
The plan for the department is to hiring an assistant for economic development officer Jana Reichert.
“I have concerns about the numbers growing,” he told county council. “A 65% increase is certainly high.”
Maieron later told the Advertiser he supports the work done by the department, but believes all department budgets should undergo a closer review to justify the costs.
Warden Chris White told the Advertiser the motions put forward by Maieron were “out of the blue.”
White said the plan for the 2014 budget is to hire an assistant and use two part-time people already working for the county to assist in economic development projects.
The warden also noted the increase in next year’s budget, which has yet to be discussed by county council and approved, also includes $25,000 set aside for the seven lower-tier municipalities for economic development work within their boundaries, including work on a business retention study.
“The $25,000 in assistance (is there) if needed,” White said. “It may not be spent, [but] the money is available.”
White said the increase represents a 25% jump in the one year. Over five years, the economic development budget is projected to come in slightly over $600,000.
The warden said economic development has already been deemed by council as an important service. County council adopted an economic development strategic plan in a bid to attract new business and retain existing businesses.
County expenses are audited annually. That audit ensures spending is not out of control, the warden added.
The warden said prior to its economic development plan being implemented the county couldn’t tell interested businesses wanting to locate here what businesses already exist in Wellington County.
The strategy has given the economic development officer and county officials a better picture.
“We’d better define who we are and how many businesses we have and how we can assist them,” White said of the retention study taking place and the need for the county to “grow the economy” locally.
He also pointed out Maieron sits on several county committees where budgets are discussed and the Erin mayor is part of the discussion process at county council that involves all department budgets.
Maieron has also claimed to county should look at a 0% increase in taxes next year and use money in reserves to pay for projects.
“I’d like to see zero if you’ve got $16 million in reserves,” he said.
“The message I’m hearing not just from Erin taxpayers is this spending is getting out of control” Maieron said.
White said the county and its departments are aware of costs and saving on spending.
Maieron will put his motions before county council in January.
