Council is big spender in initial budget talks

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

One of the first items council considered Tuesday during the first meeting of the 2025 budget review process was the budget for members of council.

At the start of the meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Kristi Honey said that departments had been asked to keep budgets as flat as possible and look for savings where they could. Mayor Dave Barton said the township is trying to be careful in its spending and "council will take a more entrepreneurial approach." However, the budget for members of council showed a 24.8-per-cent increase in expenditures over 2024. Members' combined salaries were forecast to rise to $305,400 from 2024's $248,700, while overall expenditures will rise by $150,000.

Honey said the 2024 salary figures did not reflect the increase council members received earlier this year.

The overall budget for general government was forecast at $3.95 million, with only three of the departments included in that category registering lower budget forecasts. However, corporate expenditures were listed at 16.2 per cent higher, and development services were up 9.8 per cent.

One startling figure came in the budget for the committee of adjustment, where the listed salary of $36,700 in 2024 was forecast to increase to $93,300 in 2025. When councillor Pam Beach asked for an explanation, chief by-law officer Hilary Williams said she would have to get back to her with the answer. Regional councillor Bruce Garrod suggested it might be a result of provincial downloading, but Honey said it was all part of reorganization at the township level.

In discussing the budget for the animal shelter, Honey said that although money is set aside in the 2026 capital budget for the new animal shelter, the township hopes to break ground on the project in 2025.

The budget process is scheduled to continue tonight (Thursday).

UPDATE on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024: When referencing the budget increase for the committee of adjustment, the Cosmos reported that regional councillor Bruce Garrod suggested it might be a result of provincial downloading. In fate, Garrod suggested it might be the result of regional downloading. The Cosmos apologizes for the error and any confusion it may have caused.