North Huron operational budget passage signals nearing end of budget deliberations
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Following its Feb. 26 budget meeting, North Huron Council voted to approve the proposed 2025 budget in principle, with a tax levy increase of 3.1 per cent. Final approval will come after a mandatory public meeting is held later this month. This year, the draft budget was presented by senior staff, department heads, and interim Treasurer Annette Fletcher.
Fletcher is on loan from Huron County while North Huron searches for a permanent replacement for the municipality’s previous Treasurer, Chris Townes, who recently vacated the position. Fletcher began the operations portion of the budget discussion by going over a few notable changes in the General Government portion of the budget. “Most of the revenues for the General Government are remaining consistent,” she pointed out. “Our interest income has been increased… but that is fully dependent on external interest rates.” Nearly $1.4 million is expected to come in from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) - an increase of $140,100 over 2024. “There’s some additional OCIF [Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund] funding that we are eligible for in 2025,” she added. The amount coming from OCIF is $604,826. “Some expenses of note are the Physician Recruitment - that has been budgeted,” Fletcher explained. She also reminded council that the $604,826 from OCIF will be transferred directly to reserves.
Clerk Carson Lamb went over the Council budget for the year. It includes a standard 2.1 per cent cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase to the council honorarium and meeting pay, $20,000 budgeted for training, travel and workshops, $10,000 for legal expenses, and $6,000 in community partnership funding.
Councillor Chris Palmer asked Lamb about the budget for training, travel and workshops. We have the $20,000 for member training, and, looking back, we never seem to reach that. Is it there as a just-in-case amount, or should it be reduced?” Lamb responded that the figure is based on the provisions within council’s remuneration and expenses bylaw. “In 2023, one of the changes that was noted was that those funds wouldn’t carry over for each individual council year after year…if you don’t expend it, it would just go into the general surplus,” he explained.
North Huron’s Administrative budget includes an increase in salary costs. “That includes the 2.1 per cent,” Lamb explained, in reference to the annual COLA increase. “But really the major increase reflects the costs incurred because of some council decisions related to those former employee transitions.” An upgrade to the payroll system comes with a budget of $50,000.
The operating budget for Wingham’s Town Hall Theatre is net zero for 2025, with no impact on taxes, which reflects the updated 2025 fees and charges strategy. It has a projected revenue of $12,2000, based on a predicted 12 rehearsals, an equal number of performances, 56 hours of staff time, and the theatre’s electricity, heat and water usage. At the meeting, Community Engagement Co-ordinator Denise Lockie told council that bookings are already underway.
For the Fire Department budget, Fire Chief Chad Kregar’s report emphasizes fiscal discipline. His department’s focus for 2025 is the modernization of critical, aging equipment and investing in training. Top of Kregar’s list are the replacement of Rescue 7, and auto extrication equipment for Blyth to match the eDraulics equipment Wingham received in 2024. Then, $12,000 is required to replace damaged fire helmets, He also recommends a $100,000 transfer to reserves to create a strategic buffer for future capital needs and emergencies.
Lamb presented the 2025 Police budget to council, which includes a policing contract of $1,207,352 for all of North Huron. The township’s portion of Huron County’s OPP Detachment Board expenses is $4,300. The Ministry of the Solicitor General is also refunding $176,589 to North Huron for overcharging for services in years prior. Councillor Mitch Wright expressed concern about the future of police costs in North Huron. “I’m just concerned about what’s going to happen next year for our policing costs, because the base amount is going to go up, and we’re not going to have a refund next year,” he pointed out.
“The first line of attack for this one certainly seems to be advocacy,” Lamb replied. “I know North Huron is not the only one to experience significant increases.” Lamb suggested working with other neighbouring municipalities to see about reducing significant spikes in OPP costs. He recommended communicating through Councillor Anita van Hittersum, who sits on the county’s OPP Detachment Board, council’s concerns about the large annual increases that are expected to come.
Palmer made the point that many East Wawanosh farmers feel overcharged for police services, as it is currently based on property assessment. “Is it possible that the full fee could just be divided by the households of North Huron equally?” he asked.
Van Hittersum also advocated for charging by property, not total assessment. “There’s so much farmland everywhere, and the value of farmland is increasing way more than the residences, so there’s an exorbitant pressure on the farmland that’s providing our food for the police costs, the way it's calculated right now.” Fletcher promised council she will look into other possible options for dealing with the bruisingly high policing costs.
Director of Public Works Chip Wilson presented the details of his department’s operating budget, which is largely unchanged from last year. The transition to the producer responsibility model of recycling collection means changes in the operating budget for the township’s waste collection services, including reduced contract costs. Revenues should see a slight uptick due to an increase to bag tag costs, and an anticipated increase in tipping fee revenue. The Wingham landfill requires $37,000 for brush grinding that was originally supposed to occur in 2024. The PFAS study at the Wingham Landfill also has a proposed budget of $50,000.
Kelly Steiss, the Director of Recreation and Children’s Services, had some major updates to the Children’s Services budget to relate to council. “Historically, the main centre daycare, located on Williams Street, has realized an annual operating deficit that was offset by other programs, including Early Learning and the Before- and After-School programs to produce a balanced budget. Our budget for 2025 is based on what we understand as ‘actuals.’ The majority of expenses in this budget are to cover full-time and part-time staff wages,” she explained. “We are anticipating a lot of change and growth within Children’s Services over the next years - on Dec. 20, 2024, the provincial government introduced a new funding model, designed to improve financial stability for programs like the one at the main centre,” Steiss told council. “We, along with the county and the province, are still trying to realize what that looks like, and how that will be budgeted for.”
Last year, at the direction of council, a number of part-time positions were combined to create two new full-time positions within Children’s Services in the hopes that it will create more staff stability. This change will continue this year. The Blyth daycare expansion, which will be located at the Blyth Campground, will also begin this year, using a $350,000 grant from Huron County.
The Blyth Campground saw an increase in rental revenue last year, which is reflected in the 2025 budget. Van Hittersum wanted to hear more details from Steiss about the recent transition to a QR code-based payment system at the campground, which has been the source of numerous complaints and concerns from North Huron citizens. “The QR code is something we have utilized to support people’s payment of their fees. Let’s say they were coming after hours - they could pay through their phone,” Steiss responded. “But feedback received through council, as well as the public, was that the QR code perhaps created more barriers than accessibility for people… I’ve had a chance to speak with a past volunteer who has helped us in this regard, and he is available to support us moving forward,” she said.
Steiss also presented the annual Recreation and Culture budget. Programs like summer day camps, PD Day camps and Hockey for Fun are always offered at full cost-recovery basis, which means minimal impact for taxpayers.
Funding for the Seniors Active Living Centre was just announced in January, and is reflected in this year's budget. The program will require $55,000 annually to be paid through grants. “What we had applied for was to really support the engagement of older adults, which is 55-plus,” Steiss explained. “We want to make sure we are actively engaging with older adults utilizing our recreation services. So really mobilizing our services in Wingham, as well as Blyth. We also have the fortune of partnering with One Care, who will be bringing in a hot meal program, as well as an exercise program specifically designed to help prevent falls.”
The proposed budget for the Economic Development Department caught the attention of Palmer, who took umbrage with a few of its line items, including $92,000 for special projects like job fairs, $7,000 for volunteer recognition, and $25,000 for the removal of the hedgerow at Hutton Heights. “You’re not going to like what I’m going to say. Staff was asked to come with basically, a pared down, best budget that they could have, and yours is the one that’s up $100,000-plus,” he began. “It’s way too rich, in my mind. Going back a bit, Ec. Dev. brings in housing, and development, which in turn brings in tax dollars… I’m really upset that it’s too high. It’s way too high.”
Both Lamb and Councillor Mitch Wright defended the Economic Development budget on the grounds that it falls in line with North Huron’s Strategic Plan. Despite Palmer’s protestations, when it came time to vote on the proposed budget in principle, it passed 4-1, with Palmer as the lone holdout. Deputy-Mayor Kevin Falconer was not in attendance at the meeting.