The municipality would spend about $6.8 million dollars under a draft 2013 budget presented for consideration by Mapleton council at a special meeting on Feb. 4.
The figure, if adopted, would represent a spending increase of about $323,000 over last year’s actual spending and would be about $173,000 more than budgeted for in 2012. The draft budget proposes spending of just over $4.6 million on capital projects in 2013.
The proposal before council includes a five per cent wage increase for Mapleton staff.
CAO Patty Sinnamon said the five per cent increase proposal is based on a survey of 21 municipalities, which shows Mapleton wages are below average.
“We are five to seven per cent below the average. This brings us to the average,” she noted.
Also under consideration are changes to the township’s retirement program for employees. Currently the municipality and its employees each contribute three per cent of the employee’s wages to an RSP program. That would increase to six per cent each under one proposal put forward.
Sinnamon said some discussion has been given to joining the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS). In that scenario, the RSP program would be discontinued.
Mapleton is one of the few municipalities in the province that does not belong to the OMERS plan and while this proposal is still in the discussion stage, Sinnamon said “we are looking into what it would cost to move in that direction.”
Wages in the draft budget total $477,000, up from 2012 actual wages of $407,309. However Sinnamon pointed out the township did not have to pay a finance director for much of 2012, after former finance director Mike Givens left in August to take a similar position with Wellington North.
In 2012, the municipality budgeted $449,000 for wages.
Council did not address the wage and benefit proposals during the Feb. 4 meeting.
While the proposed spending is offset by nearly $3 million in anticipated revenues, staff anticipate sharp drops in several areas of revenue flow.
The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF), the Ontario government’s main transfer payment to municipalities, is being reduced across the province. In Mapleton, OMPF grants will be down by $85,900, from $1,321,800 in 2012 to $1,235,900 for 2013.
“That represents a significant challenge,” stated Sinnamon.
“We’re looking at $200,000 less in revenues and $85,000 of that is OMPF,” said Mayor Bruce Whale.
Sinnamon explained that anticipated transfers from reserves have not been factored into the draft budget and will bring the revenue side up.
The township also received a cash windfall in 2012 from the development of the Conestogo Wind Energy Centre project that won’t be duplicated this year. The project developer NextEra Energy, paid the township a total of $50,000 in one-time fees ($5,000 per turbine). The project also generated about $70,000 in building permit fees for the township.
Among the major capital expenditures proposed in the budget draft are $426,000 worth of work on bridges and culverts and $310,000 for a new road grader. A total of $1.6 million worth of work on township roads is also in the draft budget.
Council confirmed its intent to go ahead with upgrades to Sideroad 12, with the $30,000 cost of the project to be split between the township and Neil and Barbara Driscoll, who operate a commercial grain elevator on the road. Councillors Neil Driscoll and Mike Downey declared conflicts of interest on the issue when it was discussed at the budget meeting, as they did when the issue was dealt with in a site plan agreement at the Jan. 8 council meeting.
Whale asked Downey to disclose the nature of his conflict.
“Being on the same board as someone and entering into a cost-sharing agreement,” replied Downey, adding that by “board” he meant council.
About $42,000 worth of work on the Maryborough Community Centre in Moorefield is proposed, including accessibility improvements and a new cooler for the bar area. Public works director Larry Lynch pointed out the longer the hall goes without needed improvements, “the less rentals it’s going to generate.” He noted some inexpensive improvements could be made to the hall by painting and drywalling, but, “I really shouldn’t spend any money on it if we’re not going to do anything with it.”
Council has set a date of Feb. 21 for another budget meeting.
