Spring Report to Ratepayers and Residents

After a very ‘interesting’ winter (which is becoming an equally interesting spring), I wanted to touch base with all of you regarding issues in the Township and the work being done on Council.

January to March tends to be preoccupied with two things – roads and the budget.

Roads:

On the roads file, it continues to be a challenge to keep up. Badly needed repairs to roads get scheduled, and then rain or snow ends up delaying it all. A lot of calls have come in on different roads, and all necessary. We were able to get a window of opportunity to tackle Echo Lake Road, but more remains. Our part of White Lake Road has been hit pretty hard, and there is a clear need for work on Wilkinson Road, Eagle Lake Road and up through South Shore, to name a few.

It takes a solid two weeks for the crews to make the full rounds – assuming that the weather holds and that there are no emergencies. Unfortunately, the weather has been miserable and crews have had to deal with major flooding on Arden Road, Baker Valley, Clark, Bordenwood, Harold and Babcock Roads – just this weekend.

Budget:

The other thing is the budget, which I have to confess is no less frustrating – at least for me.

Right now, as things stand, we are looking at an increase of $34 per $100,000 in assessment. It works out to roughly 3.0%. As with last year, the overwhelming majority of that increase will barely have time to get comfortable in the Sharbot Lake office before it makes its way to the OPP. Of course, the topic of policing costs is something that all municipalities are lobbying the province about and we endorsed a motion from another community on the issue.

The big issue about the budget – the one that I am being questioned on frequently – relates more to interpretation than fact. For some time, it has been reported that the 3.0% increase we are looking at is 8.0%.

The 8.0% refers to the levy – the total amount of money that the township collects – but the way it’s being reported makes it sound like your taxes are going up 8.0% over last year.

The truth is that if we left the tax rate the same as last year – a zero percent increase – the levy was going to go up 4.98% by itself. If you add the 3.0% increase to that number, that’s where the 8.0% comes from.

Let me put it in personal terms. Last year my own property was assessed at $460,500 and I paid $5100 in property taxes. Our treasury department says the increase for this year is $32 on every $100,000, which equals $147.20. On the other hand, if I believe the story that my taxes are going up 8.0% that would equal $408.00 – more than double the real amount!

I ran because I believe that the tax burden on working and retired families in Central Frontenac was becoming too much of an issue – where property taxes were eating into disposable income and leaving precious little for the basics of life. I am also personally committed to keeping the burden as low as possible.

Last year we had a big increase in building permits and construction projects. I believe that is due to our commitment to low taxes. Touting an overly inflated number might sell papers, but it also scares away businesses and families from moving to and investing in Central Frontenac.

School Purchases:

One issue that has gotten a lot of attention is the purchase of the former Hinchinbrooke and Sharbot Lake Public School properties. In particular, the investment in the Sharbot Lake property has had many question whether or not it was a good use of your money.

I do not expect that I would change anyone’s mind on this purchase, and I can only speak for myself on the issue.

What we paid for both properties was pretty much what the original asking price for Hinchinbrooke alone was. Secondly, while the building at Sharbot Lake is not usable, it sits on a couple of acres in the centre of the village and has a good well and large septic to tie into.

If you asked me what I would favour for this land, I would have to say that I would like to see geared to income seniors housing. Yes, we have seniors housing in Central Frontenac, and Sharbot Lake, but if you are looking for a geared to income alternative, the closest places are Fairmount Home in Kingston or Pine Meadow in Northbrook – and that means leaving the community.

Various levels of government have been suggesting that infrastructure and support for seniors housing are priorities. If we were to benefit from that, we could provide an alternative for low-income seniors in our community to stay in our community.

Obviously much more work is needed, and Council is open to ideas, but that is an idea I think is worth exploring.

Regarding Hinchinbrooke, the building is solid and could be re-purposed. Already, groups in and around Parham and Tichborne have come forward with a proposal for a community centre. I was proud to join with other Council members in supporting their initiative, and will offer whatever assistance I can in helping their dream become a reality.

Frontenac Community Arena:

This year I have taken on the role of Chair of the Arena Board. 2016 is our 40th Anniversary year and there are celebrations planned for August and beyond.

We have been investing in capital improvements – replacing older, less energy efficient equipment – and will be upgrading both lighting and spectator heating this summer. The menu in our canteen has been expanded, and we have also increased our programming with the establishment of ball hockey.

Thanks to a Healthy Kids grant, we were able to waive the admission fee for public skating for the latter part of the season, and our fundraising efforts have met with great success.

More importantly, our Frontenac Flyers and Frontenac Fury teams have seen success at all age levels, winning and placing in tournaments and at a province-wide level.

Summary:

In 2014, I ran with the view that you, the ratepayers and residents, deserved both respect and value for what you pay. I still believe that and am motivated by that. We have had successes and challenges since then, but the work remains to be done.

It continues to be a privilege to be your representative, and I remain humbled and grateful for your support.

Stay well, Brent