T OWN OF S TRATFORD 2019/20 B UDGET March 27, 2019 Presented by Councillor Gail MacDonald Chair of the Finance and Technology Committee
Town of Stratford – 2019/20 Budget Welcome, Mayor Steve Ogden, fellow members of Council, residents, media representatives, and staff of the Town of Stratford. On behalf of the Town of Stratford, it is my pleasure to present to you the 2019 - 2020 Town of Stratford budget. In accordance with the Province of PEI’s new Municipal Government Act, the Town of Stratford budget year now runs from April 1 st to March 31 st , to coincide with the year end of both the provincial and federal governments. The 2018/19 budget was a 15 month budget in order to transition to the new fiscal year so, for comparison purposes where shown, the 2018/19 year end estimates are from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. The past fiscal year was a very busy one for Council and staff with a number of major projects undertaken, the busiest development year to date by far, the implementation of the new Municipal Government Act, and all of the other things required to efficiently operate a growing town of over 10,000 persons. Major capital projects included the now under construction new Emergency Services Facility and the sewer delivery system to Charlottetown. Residents travelling to or from the eastern end of our community along the Trans-Canada Highway are now seeing the construction progress of the new Emergency Services Facility, which is planned to open in late summer of 2019. The facility includes: • Additional space for the Crossroads Fire Department to enable them to purchase and store new and existing fire service equipment, improved training facilities and opportunities, and the ability to accommodate future growth. • Space for the Stratford RCMP that includes interview, breathalyzer and identification rooms and equipment so that the Stratford members can carry out most of their activities in Stratford rather than travelling to the Queens Detachment at Maypoint Plaza. It also includes space for a civilian clerk so that residents can access services such as criminal record checks in Stratford. 2019/20 Town of Stratford Budget Presentation Page | 1
• Leased space for Island EMS to store two ambulances on site which is intended to improve access and response time for ambulance services. • Meeting/function rooms to enable additional community recreation and cultural programs to be held. The new Emergency Services Facility is a long term, strategic investment that will enable emergency service providers to improve services and response to Stratford and area residents for years to come. The capital cost of the building is $8.4 million with the Town of Stratford allocating $1.3 million of our Gas Tax funds to offset the cost of the energy saving features and the recreational/cultural space. This additional cost, together with select investments in other areas which will be discussed further throughout the budget document, has made the 2019/20 operating budget a challenge. There is unfortunately no other funding available for this type of facility. The net additional cost, including financing charges, fire dues and operational costs, is approximately $425,000 per year. As a result, fire dues for dwelling units are increasing from $68 per dwelling unit to $105 per dwelling unit and fire dues for commercial units are increasing from $158 to $600 per commercial unit per year. The Town will continue to provide fire services inclusive in your municipal property tax so neither residential nor commercial customers will be required to pay anything additional at this time. In order to balance the budget this year, Council has cut discretionary expenses where possible including: Council and staff travel and training budgets, promotions, and consulting fees, among other things. With the above cuts, Council is pleased to announce that they have been able to keep the non-commercial tax rate at $0.44 per $100 of assessment and the commercial tax rate at $0.99 per $100 of assessment. After much work by the Town of Stratford on behalf of residents, we were very pleased to receive news in 2018 of a new high school to be built in the community. With this announcement preliminary work has begun on the Community Campus concept which would see shared spaces developed around the new high school to benefit both the students and our residents with improved life-long learning and wellness opportunities. A committee has since been formed which includes municipal and school board representation, as well as resident and student representation. Further public consultation is planned for later this spring. Stratford is a thriving, diverse community that has experienced strong growth over the last number of years. Our municipal tax rate remains among the lowest of fully serviced 2019/20 Town of Stratford Budget Presentation Page | 2
municipalities on the island. We are looking forward to a busy 2019/20 with residential and commercial development continuing in the Town. Like our residents, we are excited about the redevelopment of the former Home Hardware property, the opening of the new emergency services facility, further expansion of the Stratford Business Park, various residential projects, and new subdivisions that are already underway. There are great things happening in Stratford and your Council, alongside Town staff, continues to work hard on your behalf. Residents can continue to be proud to live, work and play in Stratford. Town Revenue In the 2019/20 Town budget, we are forecasting revenue of $6,384,700 and expenses of $6,383,000 with a resulting surplus of $1,700. Town Revenue 2019/20 Municipal Support Grant $1,147,700 Police Fines Rent Income $60,000 $757,100 Recreation 95,500 Other 162,600 Property Tax $4,161,800 2019/20 Town of Stratford Budget Presentation Page | 3
The majority of the Town’s revenue, more than 4.1 million dollars, is derived from property taxes while the Municipal Capital Expenditures Grant provides another 1.1 million dollars of revenue for Stratford. Town Expenses Town Expenses 2019/20 Planning Expenses Depreciation $334,400 $720,000 General Government Expenses Infrastructure $2,782,600 Expenses $1,037,200 Recreation Expenses $713,200 Finance Expenses $795,600 General Government The expenses in the General Government category include all expenses that are not attributable to the four line departments. This includes police and fire protection, Council related expenses, CAO office expenses, street lighting, transit, sustainability, citizen engagement, library, and animal control. 2019/20 Town of Stratford Budget Presentation Page | 4
In addition to the new Emergency Services Facility, select investments include: • An additional staff person to support economic development, open government and community engagement efforts • Funding to compile basic demographic data for site selection and to project enrollment numbers for the proposed new high school • The addition of a full time civilian clerk once the new Emergency Services Facility opens to enable residents to obtain information and services like criminal record checks locally. (Currently the Town shares a position which is located at Maypoint) • Completion of the Town’s website upgrade • Development of new bylaws required in the new Municipal Government Act • An allowance of $10,000 to develop an on demand service to the transit system for residents who live in Ward 3 and are currently not located near a bus stop 2019/20 Town of Stratford Budget Presentation Page | 5
$28,000 General Government Expenses 2019/20 1% $75,000 $21,000 $22,000 3% 1% 1% Salaries and Benefits $82,000 $15,500 $55,000 3% Staff Development and Support 1% $57,500 2% Professional Fees 2% $226,200 $263,100 8% Council and Committee Expenses $208,900 9% 7% Police Protection $32,500 1% Fire Protection $225,000 Street Lighting 8% Animal Control Transit $936,100 Sustainable Economic Development $534,800 34% 19% Promotions and Donations Communications and Engagement Library Municipal Dues Watershed The 2019/20 capital budget includes: • $7,294,000 for the construction of the Emergency Services Facility • $150,000 for the first phase of the Kelly’s Pond Watershed restoration (Pending funding: Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program) • $60,000 for furniture, appliances and emergency operation centre equipment for the Town of Stratford’s emergency operation centre in the new Emergency Services Facility • $33,500 for the purchase of small or used transit buses until new buses can be purchased under the new federal/provincial infrastructure program • $5,000 for a hearing loop in the Council meeting room so that residents with hearing aids that are so equipped can hear Council proceedings and other public meetings as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure everyone is welcome and included. 2019/20 Town of Stratford Budget Presentation Page | 6
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