It’s municipal budget season for Chatham-Kent council, and the elected representatives learned on Nov. 13 the starting point sits at just under six per cent.
Earlier this summer, it was released that the way-too-early budget figure being bandied about by administration was a tax increase of 9.4 per cent. By mid-October, that number had slipped to just over six per cent. It now stands at 5.96 per cent.
That is below what was anticipated in 2023 when council started down the first year of a four-year-budget planning process. At that time, it was anticipated taxes would rise by 8.17 per cent.
If council does not perform any nips and tucks, 5.96 per cent would translate to an increase of $211 on the average household in Chatham-Kent.
Of the 5.96 per cent, municipal staff said social service pressures make up about 2.06 per cent.
Maintaining existing service levels comprises a figure of 1.84 per cent.
As well, maintaining the more than $7 billion in municipal assets comes at a price – 2.06 per cent.
Chatham-Kent’s annual budget sits at more than $460 million.
There are no recommendations to close roads, bridges or facilities in the draft budget.
However, the request by council to look at a 7.5-per-cent reduction in costs across the board, put forward in a motion by South Kent Coun. Ryan Doyle’s in early October, led to an informational report from administration addressing that request. It involved cutting of services from a host of departments, including the CAO’s office, corporate, development, financial, fire and emergency, health, human resources, infrastructure and engineering services.
Out of that, administration has put forward options that would see the closure of a number of libraries and fire stations in outlying communities.
Such closures would result in longer response times to fire calls, a reduction in community engagement and fewer community outreach programs, officials said.
None of these proposals have been met with approval from administration.
The budget committee also attacked the matter, after hearing two deputations against such potential closures.
The budget committee meets next on Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. to begin tackling the budget in earnest. Prior to that the municipality will host public information sessions on Facebook Live at noon on Nov. 20 and 7 p.m. on Nov. 21.
For a more detailed story, please see the Nov. 21 print edition of The Chatham Voice.
