Bruce County council has directed staff to pare down the 2025 budget to keep a tax increase in check.
When the original budget projections were presented to council during the October 10th meeting, there was a proposed tax increase of 6.81%. With the first sweep of changes made, the projected increase now sits at 6.53%.
Director of Corporate Services Sam Dinsmore says that translates to a $79 increase per household, which is a slight decrease from the originally proposed $82.
The basis of all budgetary choices provided by staff is based on the county’s strategic plan.
One of the items that have been changed within the document is the emergency shelter spending – it was not removed from the budget, but rather fund the $100,000 from the tax reserve instead of adding it to the levy.
According to Dinsmore, “Staff felt that this was an important move to make because we’re waiting on important information from the province and that $100,000 may not be required [from the county] in 2025. We’re not going to know until we get more information from the province.”
The presented budget suggested $75,000 be put into a healthcare funding reserve.
Councillor Don Murray did raise concerns about that amount being put aside for healthcare. He said that while council had already committed to having a reserve fund for the past several years, “I don’t believe we can stay involved in. If we want to build housing for people, we can’t be involved in everything and I think I looked at lower-tier municipalities are asked all the time and it feels like we’re being asked twice. The lower tiers are paying, then they come to the upper tier, and we’re funding stuff actually out of the county now, and I know they’re all great ideas, but I think at some time, we have to draw the line on healthcare spending and leave it to the province to fund that, or the lower-tier municipalities.”
As council discussed additional lines within the draft budget, there was reluctance pull items from the document.
There was a suggestion that council simply give staff a percentage to aim for, and make cuts accordingly. However, staff was adamant that council choose what to keep and what to cut, or perhaps make some concessions to fund certain projects, but for less than projected in the report.
“I’m OK with looking at things line by line, and it’s what we should do. I don’t want to be, at the end of the day, the one that decides which is more important or less important on each item line,” said Councillor Jay Kirkland. “My big picture is the percentage I’m seeing from the budget and I would rather be in the position to say what I’m comfortable with the percentage being on the budget and let our professionals and our staff be the ones [to prioritize. But if you want me to go through each one, I’m sorry to say that I’d probably cut every one. I would rather staff tell me what is important and try and fit into the percentage that I’m going to be comfortable with on the budget.”
Staff had explained that if it were up to them to decide what would stay in the budget, then everything would stay in place and the budget would remain as presented, which is why council had to discuss each proposed increase.
Council has directed staff to bring forward the 2025 Budget to the scheduled meeting on January 9th.