Town releases plans for 2011 budget process

User fees, water and wastewater rates, and capital projects being debated in January
By Chris Simon Innisfil Scope December 29 2010
There will be several opportunities for residents to help shape the town’s 2011 capital and operating budgets within the next few months.
Proposed user fees, and water, wastewater and capital budgets will be released at a council meeting Jan. 5, with an information session and public consultation planned for Jan. 12. The items may also be discussed at meetings on Jan. 19 and 26, and are expected to be passed at council’s Feb. 2 or 9 meetings.
“That will be the opportunity for council to begin to adopt or review sections of the budget (Feb. 2),” said town clerk Jason Reynar. “If required, we can ask the mayor to call a subsequent meeting on the following Wednesday to continue that process.”
Consultation on the town’s operating budget is expected to take place March 9, with adoption planned for March 30.
The meeting schedule was presented as part of a report on the town’s 2011 business plan. The plan provides a broad overview of the direction the municipality will take over the next year, and discusses the methods being used to develop the budgets.
“Council will be engaged in the review of three distinct budget submissions over the course of the first quarter of 2011,” said town Chief Financial Officer Lockie Davis. “One submission will deal with the capital program, a second will focus on establishing the appropriate user rates for water and wastewater, and finally the operating budget proceeding with levying property taxes. Staff have undertaken a consistent approach with the preparation of the budget.”
During the next few years, the budget process and planning initiatives are expected to undergo an overhaul. However, staffing restrictions, and the timing of the completion of the Inspiring Innisfil 2020 strategic document did force the municipality to be somewhat conservative in its planning, said Davis.
“The Inspiring Innisfil initiative that is underway will have a significant impact on future business planning and budget processes, as council develops strategic priorities to address the issues and goals deemed most important to residents and stakeholders,” he said. “The direction on how best to achieve this will influence the planning for 2012, and subsequent plans and budgets.
However, due to the timing of when the results will be known and an action plan developed, we may be too far along in the 2011 budget process to make significant changes in our course of action.”
Councillors say there will be plenty of time to implement the Inspiring Innisfil recommendations.
“We shouldn’t hold up the 2011 budget process for Inspiring Innisfil,” said councillor Lynn Dollin. “We have to move forward.”