Wellington County and Guelph officials are still awaiting the results of an arbitration hearing over the sharing of social services costs.
Guelph forced a hearing late last year because it wants a change in the way those costs are shared. The city wants to use assessment as the basis for payment, while the county supports the current user-pay system.
Warden Joanne Ross-Zuj said the arbitrator had hoped to have a response for both councils prior to Christmas. That did not happen, and now arbitrator Doug Colbourne has informed Ross-Zuj the decision will take at least until this Friday.
Ross-Zuj noted the decision has to be announced by the end of February.
Guelph currently pays about 80 per cent of the cost for social services, based on caseload and location of the claimant. The city has asserted many of the users come from the county, and wants a change in the way costs are apportioned.
“If Guelph’s position is accepted by the arbitrator, approximately $4- to $4.5-million in costs are shifted onto the county,”said county treasurer Craig Dyer in an email. “If the county’s position is accepted, approximately $2-million is shifted onto the city. Impacts could also be anywhere between these figures.”
In other issues, Ross-Zuj noted Guelph still has not paid the county for its share of Wellington Terrace costs, and the city has set its budget without those provisions.
“They’ve set their budget; we know it’s not adequate,” she said, adding the Terrace issue will soon go before a judge. “That legal action has been launched.”
Dyer said, “As of Dec. 31, 2008 the city owed the county approximately $2.4-million for the Terrace. This will increase by approximately $800,000 as of Dec. 31. [We] won’t have a final number for a few weeks.”
Ross-Zuj said she hopes to get all the disputes settled with Guelph before the year is up.
Ambulance meet cancelled
In the meantime, Guelph has cancelled the ambulance committee meeting for the second month in a row, without providing a reason.
The ambulance committee is part of the joint social services committee.
Erin officials have been arguing for better ambulance service for several years, but Guelph officials seem reluctant to even discuss the issue any further.
“I was given no reason,” Ross-Zuj said of the cancellation.
Clerk interviews
The county, meanwhile, is currently interviewing people for the clerk’s position. Former Clerk Donna Van Wyck was let go in November.
Ross-Zuj said it is likely her replacement would not be able to start until sometime in March because of the need to provide notice in a current job.
