GORDON-BARRIE ISLAND – Council for the township of Gordon-Barrie Island has set its 2019 budget which will see a two percent increase.
“Council decided on a two percent increase in our 2019 budget,” Lee Hayden, reeve of Gordon-Barrie Island told the Recorder this past Sunday, after a council meeting last week. He said the increase is based on the inflationary rate and, “keeps us up on the increase in costs, wages etc.”
“The only thing really out of the ordinary in this budget is that we have put $40,000 toward a water source upgrade at the community centre/ township office,” said Reeve Hayden. “We have a shared stored well with a neighbour and felt that it would be best to have our own water supply. Hopefully we will be able to find good water,” he said, noting a new well will be drilled. We have a sistern out there, but need our own supply of water.”
“So we budgeted roughly $40,000 in our budget,” he said, noting other budgeted items include funds toward an asset management audit that has to be completed. “And zoning bylaws have to be put in place (with the Manitoulin Planning Board new Official Plan in place), and we are bringing in a consultant to help with this. As well, a Rethink Green audit has to be completed by the municipality. It is now a requirement of each municipality to do their own audit energy consumption report.”
“Our total roads budget this year is $473,000 this year, an increase over last year’s of $447,000, and with every budget there are several downloaded costs that we have to provide for,” said Reeve Hayden.
“It is a standard budget,” said Reeve Hayden. “Our total expenditures are pretty well $2.1 million. Of this, $262,000 will go toward education costs (Rainbow District School Board). Some of the other costs that have been downloaded on the township include for example the cost of policing, of $180,000; ambulance, $180,000; garbage disposal, $75,000; and social family services, $130,000.”
“One of the concerns that our council has is the pending four percent cutbacks from the province in terms of funding,” said Reeve Hayden. “This is weighing hard on all municipalities.”
“Council was satisfied with the budget numbers which included our attempt to keep up with the rate of inflation,” added Reeve Hayden.
