ESPANOLA—At its October meeting, the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) passed its 2017 budget, resulting in a 0.40 percent increase to the municipal share.
For Ontario Works, there was a reduction to the municipalities by $81,593, a municipal increase to children’s services by $27,930, an increase to social housing by $25,019 and an increase to paramedic services by $70,670. At $15,569,654, the paramedic services budget makes up over half of the DSB’s total budget.
Northeast Town Mayor Al MacNevin, a member of the DSB board of directors, noted that the non-urgent patient transfers have always been an issue for the DSB; the costs add more to the DSB budget, but it also means a reduction in response times. “It’s a cost, but also a benefit,” the mayor said.
“My municipality will look at this budget and say it’s not that bad,” Mayor MacNevin added.
The total budget for 2017 is $33,262,397, an increase of 4.36 percent with a total increase across all municipalities of $42,027 or 0.40 percent.
