Multiple committee meetings for Hastings County took place on Wednesday looking at their respective budgets for 2025.
Among the committees are Community and Human Services, Emergency Services and Long-Term Care.
Hastings County’s Community and Human Services committee is recommending to council that they approve an increase of 5.62% to the committee’s budget for 2025.
Community and Human Services administers and delivers Children’s Services, Homelessness Initiatives and Prevention, Housing Services, and Ontario Works.
Listed in the budget are the launch of a building project for 32 new affordable housing units in Quinte West beginning in April. Expected completion of the project is in 2026.
Throughout the meeting, it was noted that the department would be continuing to advocate for more provincial funding.
For Hastings/Quinte Emergency Services, they’re recommending an increase of 8.77%.
The department provides paramedic services and emergency management support to the 14 member municipalities of Hastings County, Prince Edward County, Belleville, Quinte West, and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, located on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
The focus on their budget includes infrastructure renovations, uniform replacements, vehicle and equipment maintenance and community paramedic programs, among other items listen in their budget.
Staffing increases were also highlighted in the budget with an increase by 12 hours a day, seven days a week starting July 1, with an additional increase of 24 hours a day, seven days a week starting in October.
Finally, for Long-Term Care, that department was proposing an increase of 6.62% for its 2025 budget.
They provide care at two long-term care homes: Hastings Manor in Belleville and Hastings Centennial Manor in Bancroft.
Marked in the budget are capital upgrades for both homes.
Capital work is estimated at $2.9 million for Hastings Manor and $1.2 million for Hastings Centennial Manor.
All budgets will be brought to Hastings County Council for final approval at a future meeting.