Clinton News Record, 2015-02-18, Page 3Wednesday, February 18, 2015 • News Record 3
2015 Huron County draft budget moves forward
A number of councillors seeking more
information before final approval
Dave Flaherty
QMI Agency
The county's draft budget has
been passed but several coun-
cillors would like more infor-
mation before giving final
approval.
The budget currently has a
two per cent increase on the
general tax levy, but treasurer
Michael Blumhagen said the
county's tax rate is estimated to
be reduced by 2.28 per cent
At the Feb. 10 committee of
the whole meeting, Blumhagen
also told county council that
approximately $377,000 from
the 2014 surplus had been used
to pay for items in the 2015 draft
budget
In a report presented to
council, staff has estimated that
the amount of taxes collected
from lower -tier municipalities
will slightly rise in most areas,
except South Huron and the
Town of Goderich.
Ashfield-Colbome-
Wawanosh Reeve Ben Van Die-
penbeek wanted to knowwhat
the balance of the county's
reserves would be afterthe 2015
budget
Blumhagen said he didn't
have the exact information at
that time but made an estima-
tion of roughly $38 million.
There were a number of
funding requests from local
organizations within the draft
budget including $20,000 for
the United Way's Social
Research and Planning Coun-
cil, $5,000 for the Coalition for
Huron Injury Prevention,
$60,000 for the Huron County
Food Bank Distribution Centre,
$261,000 for HealthKick Huron
and $284,000 for the Emer-
gency Services Training Centre
in Blyth.
Blumhagen said the small
requests could come from a
$100,000 provision fund that
county has for grants, but it was
suggested the larger requests be
sent to the county's economic
development board for
approval.
Huron East Mayor Bernie
MacLellan said he was in sup-
port of the food bank distribu-
tion centre request but he
wanted them to come back
with a yearly report as they are
requesting $60,000 annually
over fouryears.
He also voiced concerns
about the HealthKick Huron
request.
"They told us four to five
years ago that they would be
sustainable and now are com-
ing back for more money," he
said.
However, Huron East Deputy
Mayor Joe Steffler said
HealthKick Huron has had a
great success rate and been a
good investment for the county.
Bluewater Mayor Tyler Hes-
sel said the county needs to
start "setting boundaries" when
it comes to funding requests
and requiring more detailed
business plans.
At the Feb. 3 meeting, council
had instructed staff to use the
2014 surplus within the 2015
budget
Blumhagen said at that time
the surplus would be about $1
million but explained at last
week's meeting "that number
had been racheted down:'
Using the philosophy of "let's
see what the numbers are",
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn
said he would like to see what a
two per cent increase looked
like without using reserves.
Amidst all this, CAO Brenda
Orchard reminded council that
the county had a $700,000
decrease in OMPF funding this
year, which equates to two per
cent of the budget
"To us this is a zero per cent
increase," she said, indicating
that if council requires further
decreases to the budget or does
not want money coming out of
reserves, the county could
potentially have to look at staff
and service cuts.
Blumhagen said itis difficult
for staff to "come up with cuts
when we don't know the focus
of council:'
Hessel said he was torn on
Central Huron keeping 40 -acre
minimum for farm severances
Dave Flaherty
QMI Agency
County council has sup-
ported the wishes of Central
Huron to keep 40 acres as the
minimum for farmland sever-
ances in the municipality.
At the Feb. 11 committee of
the whole meeting, county
planner Susanna Reid pre-
sented a report on amend-
ments to Central Huron's offi-
cialplan.
One of her recommenda-
tions was that the minimum
severed farm size should be
increased to 50 acres to be in
line with the rest of the county.
However, Central Huron
Mayor Jim Ginn said there are
farms in the former Goderich
and Stanley Townships that
have 80 -acre lots.
"You wouldn't think 40 to
50 acres would make a differ-
ence," Ginn said, but he
explained with the price of
farmland currently about
$15,000 per/acre, 10 more
acres be an extra $150,000 in
costs.
Huron East Mayor Bernie
MacLellan said he was always
of the belief that lower tier
municipalities had the ability
to allow for smaller severance
sizes if they chose to do so.
County director of planning
Scott Tousaw said essentially
for a 50 -acre severance, the
original lot must be 150 acres.
"You have to essentially
own two lot sizes to qualify for
a severance," Tousaw said.
"We are suggesting 50 acres
because it works within the
rest of the county:'
North Huron Mayor Neil
Vmcent said there were many
areas where a 40 -acre lot
would be sustainable.
He said the difference
between 40 acres and 50 acres
is in how it is farmed.
MacLellan said he wasn't
hearing of any provincial leg-
islation that takes precedence
over Central Huron's wishes
and he made a motion to
allow them to continue having
40 acres as the minimum.
South Huron Deputy Mayor
David Frayne believed Central
Huron shouldn't be punished
due to its unique geography,
while Goderich Deputy
Mayor Jim Donnelly said his
instincts favoured Ginn's
explanation on the situation.
"His municipality is a vic-
tim of circumstance'
The motion, and other
amendments to the official
plan, were passed by council.
the issue because budgets for
lower -tier municipalities will be
difficult this year as well.
"I don't want to keep beating
a dead horse," he said.
Orchard said the county's
proposed organizational review
would help with next year's
budget
Several councillors were hes-
itant to approve a $135,000
funding request for the Western
Ontario Wardens Caucus'
SWIFT project
Hessel said he had no prob-
lem moving talks on the SWIFT
project forward but he wants to
see a business plan before mak-
ing
aking a fiscal commitment
Huron County Warden Paul
Gowing said he wants to see
discussions with local intemet
providers before he can support
the SWIFT project
Central Huron Mayor Jim
Ginn said the reason SWIFT is
asking them for funding is to
help them get provincial and
federal monies.
It's not going anywhere
without that," he said.
Blumhagen said staff would
bringing back another report
for councillors on the budget
for final approval.
"A negative adjustment in the
tax rate is a good step forward
for the lower tier municipali-
ties," he told council.
NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL
AND SPECIAL GENERAL
MEETING OF THE
WEST WAWANOSH MUTUAL
INSURANCE COMPANY
Notice is hereby given that the Annual and Special General Meeting
of the Company will be held at the:
DUNGANNON AGRICULTURAL HALL
On
Thursday, March 19, 2015
AT 2:00 P.M.
1. To receive, consider and approve the Financial Statement and
Auditor's Report for the year ended December 3151, 2014.
2. To appoint auditors for 2015.
3. To elect two (2) Directors for a three-year term.
4. To consider the following By-law amendment: To amend Section
19(d) to provide that a director shall not be eligible for election
or re-election after having attained his/her 70th Birthday or after
having completed eight consecutive terms.
5. To transact any other business that may properly come before
the meeting.
The retiring Directors are Lloyd McGillivray of the Grey/Bruce
designated area and Brad Vanstone of the HuronlPerth designated
area. Both directors are eligible for re-election.
Any qualifying policyholder wishing to run as a Director for these
areas must file their intention to run, in writing, along with a
nomination form, with the Corporate Secretary or designate, no
later than close of business, March 5, 2015.
A copy of the annual financial statements will be posted on the
company website www.wwmic.com at least 21 days prior to the
meeting. A policyholder may request a hard copy of the statements
by contacting the head office in Dungannon.
By order of the Board of Directors,
West Wawanosh Mutual Insurance Company,
Dungannon, Ont.
Cathie Simpson
Corporate Secretary/
President/ CEO