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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, December 18, 2009 · 16 Regional councillors freeze salaries and pass 0% tax hike By Tim Foran OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The elimination of any salary hike for regional council members and the opening of a new sexual health clinic in Oakville in time for the next school year were two of the lastminute changes made to Halton's $1.1 billion 2010 budget approved by council Wednesday morning. The changes, proposed by council's budget review committee Monday, won't change the overall requested tax levy, meaning there will be no increase next year in property taxes for regional services, which include items such as police, ambulance and regional roads maintenance. There will also be no increases in water Display Electric Fireplace Models 40% OFF rates, which are paid by Halton residents on their electricity bills. Staff achieved the zero tax and rate increases in part by instituting a freeze on tax-supported new hires, except for police personnel, and keeping the number of municipal staff at effectively 2008 levels. Property taxes cover approximately $318 million of the Region's budget, with other major sources of revenue including provincial and federal funding, as well as money collected from developers for capital projects. Council effectively opted against a tax cut by ratifying a budget review committee recommendation put forth by Burlington Councillor Jack Dennison to forward an approximate $800,000 in unexpected extra revenue into the municipality's recession reserve fund, created last year. Halton's treasury only recently learned it was getting the extra cash due to an increase in assessment -- the number of new properties being added to the tax rolls -- to 2.74 per "It's a pittance, but I think it's a symbolic pittance." 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OAKVILLE, ON QEW W Speers Wallace allace 1 -800-8381789 T.I.C.O. #50007535 OMCA Member FOR RESERV ATIONS CALL www.casinocoach.ca · www.frontlinetours.ca 168 CLARENCE ST., PORT COLBORNE, L3K 3G5 cent from 2.42 per cent. Dennison told the budget review committee Monday he didn't suggest the money go toward a tax cut for two reasons -- he felt the chances of getting that through council in a year when there was already a zero tax hike budget were "slim and none" and he felt the money could be used to mitigate any potential tax increase in 2011. The budget forecasts a 2.6 per cent tax hike in 2011, though staff have overestimated such requirements in recent years. At the same committee meeting, Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville put forth the motion that he and his colleagues should receive no pay hike next year, a move that will save $17,000 next year. It doesn't apply to salaries regional councillors also receive from the local municipalities they represent. "It's a pittance, but I think it's a symbolic pittance," said Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette Monday. Somerville said his recommendation was not based on recent media coverage that councillors were in line for a cost-of-living increase on Jan. 1. Rather, he said it followed the pay freezes the local council of Halton Hills voted for itself this year and for 2010. Somerville had been on the other side of the fence in 2008, when he voted in favour of a raise for regional councillors in 2009. That increase was described as a market adjustment to the salaries of regional council members, to bring them to the average of what their counterparts make in the other regional municipalities. It was in line with recommendations made by a citizens review committee, who meet one day every two years to vote on guidelines for the remuneration of council members. Oakville Councillor Tom Adams did not support the motion at the budget committee, arguing politicians were again trying to second guess recommendations made by the citizens committee. "I think it's just playing games," said Adams, noting the issue of compensation for council members was given to citizens so that it wouldn't have to be a "political football". "I don't think it's playing games," responded Burlington Councillor John Taylor. "I think these are extraordinary times and our citizens are suffering." Taylor said the poor economy is more obvious now than it was in October, 2008, the last time the citizens committee met. Council Wednesday also endorsed the re-insertion of a new sexual health clinic for teenagers and young adults in Oakville. Oakville Councillor Jeff Knoll had been pushing for the clinic to be put back into the municipal budget -- it had previously been approved to open this year but was deferred. Staff said the clinic will open in September. The public health department first has to find a location, as its original plan to open it at Trafalgar and Speers roads has fallen through. The $170,000 needed to establish the clinic would come from reserve funds, said staff. The Province funds 75 per cent of the operating costs, meaning the impact to Regional tax dollars would only be $22,000 for 2010, though that will increase when costs are annualized in 2011. Dennison voted against the change at the budget committee, arguing the existing south Halton clinic in Burlington at Lakeside Shopping Village was accessible by transit for Oakville youth. "This project is not simply a lark, this is an identified need in the health department," responded Knoll. He was referring to statistics showing Oakville residents account for only 25% (798) of clinic visits at the Burlington location. Staff estimate there would be 3,000 visits by Oakville residents if a clinic was located in their community. It is currently the only urban area in Halton not to have such a clinic, as the Lakeside location was designed to serve all of south Halton. In response to a request by Taylor, Regional CAO Pat Moyle told the committee staff would also identify a better site for the Burlington sexual health clinic to possibly open in 2011 -- something recommended by health department staff to happen following the installation of the Oakville clinic.