Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Greater Napanee council offered its final input on the 2018 budget to town staff on Thursday before a planned vote on the final draft next month.
At the heart of Thursday’s discussion was a proposed tax levy increase of 2.69 per cent, as well the dollar amount for how much the town would contribute towards the Concerned Citizens Committee of Tyendinaga on Environs’ (CCCTE) legal fees.
In an effort to lower the proposed tax levy, council opted to lower the suggested transfer for new strategic plan project reserve from $100,000 to $50,000.
“I know it wasn’t completely plucked from the air, but it does seem a little pie in the sky, unquantifiable if you will,” said councillor Max Kaiser of the proposed strategic plan project transfer as he supported the motion of cutting the transfer in half, as put forward by councillor Shaune Lucas. “I wonder if that’s the one that could be adjusted.”
Council opted to go with the staff- recommended allocation of $35,000 for Quinte Conservation and spending $3,570 on the fleet and equipment reserve. Both Kaiser and councillor Roger Cole, who serve on the conservation authority board, agreed $35,000 would be sufficient for the group.
When it came to the CCCTE, the town wasn’t required to pay anything toward the group’s $33,000 legal fee debt, but after some discussion, councillors agreed they would do so. Upon hearing input from both sides of the horseshoe, some suggesting more, some less, it was councillor Carol Harvey’s motion of giving $10,000 to the group that was passed.
“Had this group not (fought against expansion of the landfill), and we hadn’t, we would have a mega dump today,” said Harvey. “All the legal responsibilities during this process that this group went through was at no charge (to the municipality). If we had have done it, we’d have had horrendous legal costs.”
Lucas supported the motion, though said if it were up to him, he’d have suggested giving even more to the group.
“I think the group has done a great job on behalf of the municipality,” said Lucas. “I try to think what would have happened if they didn’t do the work in terms of the perception of the community and the lost tax dollars because of reduced assessments because of what we had to deal with out there.”
Lucas also added that he felt it was in the town’s best interests to continue to support the group as the fight may not yet be over.
“Don’t be surprised if this does come back on our laps because of the diversion calls they projected going forward,” said Lucas. “They need 15 more dumps in this province in the next 25 years. It’s not over and you should be very careful going forward because this might come back. Hopefully it doesn’t, but this province doesn’t have the capacity for landfill at this stage going forward for 25 years. Where are they going to get it?”
Following the successful motion, Mayor Gord Schermerhorn asked town staff to work out a proposal that would cut $10,000 from other parts of the budget to give to the CCCTE.
Thursday’s meeting marked the fourth and last scheduled budget meeting. Council is expected to adopt its 2018 budget at its first council meeting in April.