Levy increase at 5.5 per cent; finance staff to present options

The focus of the budget process shifted to the capital side during Thursday evening's meeting but not before the preliminary approval of two more requests from organizations on the operating side totalling $59,310 has the overall levy increase at 5.5 per cent over 2022 as the committee breaks for the weekend.

The budget deliberations opened at 5.77 per cent. Three marathon sessions later, the levy increase has shrunk by just 0.27 per cent. There is much to be decided but, as it stands, a levy increase of 5.5 per cent as compared to 2022 represents an increase of approximately $5.5 million to $106.6 million over 2022's operating levy of $101.1 million.

Heading into the weekend, the finance staff has been tasked with finding a way to get the levy increase in the range of 3–4 per cent which could mean the use of more reserves and/or service level reductions. A budget meeting is scheduled for Monday evening to — possibly — conclude talks and finalize the budget.

This series of meetings began on Feb. 23 with the council members making some difficult choices when it came to service level enhancements by various local organizations. The council denied two of the notable higher dollar amount requests from community organizations Creative Industries and OUTLoud North Bay. Creative Industries was seeking an increase of $35,000 in base funding from $75,000 to $110,000 plus a three-year micro-granting program funded from reserves. OUTLoud North Bay sought operational funding of $80,000 to $114,000, as the organization had outlined in a recent presentation to council.

Mayor Peter Chirico made it clear in his remarks that these types of requests would not be rubber-stamped by this council and are better suited for grants from the social services sector. "We're not in the business of providing funds to individual groups for salaries or operating costs. As a council, we have to make that very clear that is not what we're doing on the backs of taxpayers."

Following that same meeting, Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield, the budget chief, said, "The asks we have received from community partners highlight that there are many deserving organizations in need, and we need to find ways to work with them to support their mandates outside of monetary contributions."

On Thursday evening, with Mayor Chirico absent from the budget meeting, two service-level enhancements were approved in principle by the council members in attendance. It's worth noting, for full disclosure, Chirico has been a member and public supporter of the work done by Clean, Green, Beautiful and its founder, Hariett Madigan. Madigan, in turn, endorsed Chirico in his mayoral run. 

Clean, Green, Beautiful North Bay is poised to receive an increase of recurring funding of $50,000 annually, an increase of $40,000 over its current agreement. The report states, "The additional funds will go toward a permanent staff member which will allow CGB to continue their important community work."

And, the North Bay Heritage Gardeners are to receive an additional $19,310 annually, increasing the City's contribution from $78,220 to $97,530. The additional funds will go towards the increased costs and offset lost revenue from discontinued programs. In its application, the group states it is seeing increased costs associated with delivering its program, particularly with its one full-time employee's benefit costs, planting materials, volunteer expenses, telephone and marketing expenses. 

An overwhelming majority of council members sang the praises of both organizations and there was unanimous support for the Heritage Gardeners' ask while Councillors Tanya Vrebosch and Gary Gardiner voted against the Clean, Green, Beautiful request. Despite his opposition, it was Gardiner who pointed out these two organizations did not fall under the social services category, the basis for denying some of the earlier requests but rather slotted into the infrastructure and operations portfolio.

Coun. Jamie Lowery spoke in favour of the CGB request. "If the City had to do the work themselves, litter pick up, and tree planting, the investment would probably double or triple that money. There is the community pride component," and they raise their own money in addition to the municipal contribution.

Vrebosch had high praise for all of the organizations that applied for funding, whether they were successful or not but wondered why the CBG application for a staff position was different from the others. "This is for a staff person. We have had organizations that have come to us in the past who say they need money for a staff member to be self-sufficient and they're not going to come back. And, the next year they come back."