The word infrastructure has been on Tiny council’s mind this week.
The second day of the 2024 draft budget discussions for Tiny Township concluded early as council directed staff to aim for a five per cent blended tax rate for its residents next year.
Some unknowns caused staff to make estimations on calculations, due to the lack of confirmation for provincial education on the blended rate as well as the previously frozen Municipal Property Assessment Corporation growth on properties. Additionally, financial information on North Simcoe arenas and libraries had yet to be confirmed.
Despite using their best guess, a preliminary 6.045 per cent increase to the municipal tax rate was presented on Monday as council received overviews of the cost to run the municipality.
Following a high-level rundown of the capital budget, council poured line-by-line over the various departments to find necessities and savings.
Infrastructure featured prominently in the talks, as a table shown in the 20-year look-ahead for capital budget during the first day’s asset management presentation had stuck in the minds of council; specifically a forecasted $9.8 million requirement in 2024, $13 million in 2025, and $11 million in 2026.
Staff’s recommendation to earmark $155,000 into a proposed new tax rate stabilization reserve was addressed, as all members of council saw the need to address infrastructure instead as the root of the issue.
“I’m all for the reserve,” said Mayor Dave Evans, “but I would… take that $154,000 and put that towards infrastructure to address, in my mind, those $11 million and $13 million bogeys that are coming at us pretty soon.
“Right now, it’s all about infrastructure and managing those big hits coming down the line. And that, in turn, will stabilize our taxes,” he added.
The $154,000 was added to a renamed infrastructure reserve, recommended by staff to contribute one per cent of the tax levy for the previous year as had been done by the township several years ago.
The topic returned at the meeting’s end when Coun. Dave Brunelle insisted that council direct staff to a target number for further refinement. While various amounts and reasonings were pitched, infrastructure solidified the resolution of many on council.
Said Coun. Steffen Walma of years prior: “Our assets were outpacing us in age compared to what we were contributing. We’re still in that scenario, so I don’t think five per cent (blended) is the right answer. I think that we need to seriously look at what the whole long-term goal is, and I think we need to catch up.”
Deputy Mayor Sean Miskimins shared Walma’s viewpoint, as did Kelly Helowka who reiterated the importance of Tiny taxpayers understanding that the township’s tax rate was the second lowest in Simcoe County.
Council directed staff to chase a five per cent blended tax rate increase for the December 18 return of budget discussions.
Other issues discussed at the meeting included: renovations to the Withall Dam bridge in 2024; a two per cent COLA increase; the hiring of several new positions expected to gain cost savings through efficiencies.
The Culture Alliance and Severn Sound Environmental Association received approval for their funding requests, with MTM Conservation Association getting approval for control of invasive phragmites.
A second day camp and staff position were approved, with recreation director Bonita Desroches thanking council on behalf of resident parents and their children.
Deferred items included artificial ice for the Perkinsfield pavilion and partially-completed wayfinding signs for Tiny beaches.
Information on the Tiny Township asset management strategy can be found on the corporate master plans page of the municipal website. The 2024 draft budget report can be viewed on the agenda page on the Township of Tiny website.
Archives of council meetings are available to view on the Township’s YouTube channel.
