Councillors and staff now have their marching orders for this year as council has set their 2020 budget.
Prince Edward County councillors came out of four days of discussions with a decision that sees the roads capital reserve getting a significant boost in the amount of $1.5 million and the hospital receiving over $320,000 this year.
Coming into budget discussions on Friday in council chambers at Shire Hall, council was looking at a decrease of 1.62% in the budget, for an operating budget of $38,488,249, or a net zero increase.
Council approved an operating budget of $40.3 million and a capital budget of $11.6 million on Friday afternoon.
Councillor Ernie Margetson read the motion to approve the budget:
The water and waste water budgets were $8.6 million and $22.8 million respectively.
Chief Administrative Officer Marcia Wallace and Director of Finance Amanda Carter provided councillors with a list of four items for their consideration, which would increase this year’s budget.
Council kept $32,311 in unfinanced capital for the Picton Fire Hall and Wellington and District Community Centre.
They scrapped a winter reserve fund that would have amounted to two percent of the current levy, and deferred $1.14 million, or three percent of the current levy, for climate emergency costs to next year.
Wallace and Carter suggested that a contribution of $765,125 to the roads capital reserve would also be a ‘nice to have’.
In a recorded vote, the motion passed with Mayor Steve Ferguson and councillors Stewart Bailey, Ernie Margetson, Brad Nieman and Phil Prinzen opposed.
The vote to pass the final budget passed with a 7-5 vote with Mayor Ferguson and councillors Bailey, Margetson, Nieman and Prinzen opposed.
Mayor Ferguson says it’s never easy to arrive at these decisions but a decision has to be made.
Residents are looking at an approximate $15 increase per $100,000 assessment. Those with a home valued at $300,000 are looking at an approximate $45 increase in their tax bills.
A portion of the budget tackles a longstanding issue in the County.
The budget is not ratified until a future council meeting.
