A little shocked and disappointed.
That’s how Burk’s Falls councillor Ashley Brandt reacted to a decision by Armour council to end shared services agreements with Burk’s Falls and Ryerson Township.
The three communities partner to fund the Burk's Falls, Armour and Ryerson Union Public Library, the Burk's Falls and District Fire Department, the Armour, Ryerson and Burk's Falls Memorial Arena and Armour, Ryerson and Burk’s Falls TRI R Landfill site.
Armour announced this month that it’s ending its shared services agreement with the library in 2026 and will not continue with the three remaining shared services at the end of 2027.
In arriving at its decision, Armour said that Burk’s Falls doesn’t appear to be interested in sharing and supporting services with other Almaguin Highlands municipalities.
Brandt said as a partner, she believed Burk’s Falls had been working with Armour and Ryerson to share services and also advancing a new library and new fire hall.
“I’m a little offset to the illusion that we are not working collaboratively,” she said.
Brandt wants more clarification behind Armour’s decision and is hopeful for a positive outcome.
“I hope in the end we can come together and figure out exactly what transpired and how we can amend it and make it better and work collaboratively,” she said.
Brandt’s councillor colleague Sean Cotton also wants more clarification about the shared services issue.
Councils for the three townships have a Tri-council meeting next on Feb. 24 in Burk’s Falls, and Cotton wants Armour to explain at that time how it sees services moving forward.
“It is a three-way partnership,” Cotton said. “So, it will be good for all three partners to have an open dialogue about what this looks like in the future.”
Burk’s Falls Mayor Chris Hope says the Armour decision to withdraw from the shared services agreements is one that “lots of people are very concerned and worried about.”
Hope believes the Armour decision was based on Burk’s Falls deciding in December to leave the Almaguin Community Economic Development organization. However, Hope said his council’s decision to leave ACED was purely financial.
He said Burk’s Falls faces ever-rising infrastructure commitments and at the same time pays $20,000 as its share to be part of ACED and likely more next year. Hope said that $20,000 it pays to ACED accounts for two per cent of the property taxes each year.
Hope added that as one of several built-up communities in the Highlands, Burk’s Falls faces more infrastructure costs compared to some other municipalities.
Hope says when one considers that Burk’s Falls pays $20,000 as its full share to be part of ACED, his community is subsidizing those municipalities that don’t contribute a full share.
Additionally, there are Highlands communities that are not part of ACED but benefit from its activities and Hope says it means Burk’s Falls also subsidizes these municipalities.
“This is obviously a problem as costs rise and this is something that should have been addressed by now,” he said.
Hope says while he recognizes that the Almaguin Highlands gets promoted through ACED, he believes there should also be individual attention to Burk’s Falls.
Hope says the decision Burk’s Falls made was its decision alone and one council should not be interfering with “internal decisions of other councils.”
But since there is time before the Armour resolution takes effect and the agreements expire at the end of 2027, Hope is banking on more dialogue with the other partners with the hope there can be a better agreement for everyone beyond 2027.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Almaguin News. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
