Draft 2013 budget shows cheaper waste collection costs

By Robin MacLennan Barrie Examiner November 5, 2012

Cheaper waste collection costs will lessen the tax pain for Simcoe County residents, but how the savings will be shared is yet to be determined.

County council got its first look at the draft 2013 budget Tuesday, a roadmap to spending more than $413 million next year on services, including paramedics, social housing, Ontario Works, children’s services, long-term care homes, infrastructure, which includes bridges and roads and waste management.

The proposed general tax levy is up 2%, or about $10.40 for a home assessed at $200,000. However, the waste management levy is down by almost 8%, or $1.7 million because of changes to curbside collection that will streamline and standardize service across the county’s 16 municipalities.

Councillors will now decide if the savings should be shared equally with all county taxpayers with a combined levy, or whether waste collection costs should be separated on the tax bill and only levied against properties utilizing the service. Communities currently using private collection services are opposed to sharing the costs.

County CAO Mark Aitken encouraged council to combine the levies into one charge and reducing the tax increase to less than one per cent or $1.90 on a $200,000 household.

“It’s a positive year to do it because of the decrease in the contact costs. This is the year to do it if you are at all interested in combining the levies,” Aitken said. “For the first time I can say to you that we have some stability in curbside waste collection costs”

The county recently signed a seven-year waste collection contract for services across the entire region.

“There are going to be winners and losers in this, both in terms of individual municipalities and local residents,” Aitken concluded. “The good news is it’s a one-time hurt.”

Other costs driving the budget up include paramedic services where an additional $519,000 has been requested to accommodate rising fuel and telecommunication costs, medical supplies, additional oxygen costs to support fire services, vehicle maintenance.

Eight paramedics were added to the payroll in August as a temporary measure and the 2013 budget includes those positions as permanent spots.

“The last permanent enhancement for paramedic response resources occurred in 2008,” staff detailed in a report to council. “Since that time, call volumes have increased by more than 7,000 annual calles driven largely by the growing and aging population.”

Georgian Village, a brand new campus-style long-term care home designed to provide a continuum of housing options for seniors is set to open on July 1, adding 36 beds to the mix and 36 full time jobs to the County budget.

Costs are also up for children’s services where long waiting lists continue to grow.

The budget will be reviewed in detail at November’s standing committee meetings before it is presented to council for review and possible ratification at the regular meeting on Nov. 27.