CHAPLEAU EXPRESS
Local News Weekly
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The opinions expressed are those of the Mayor and no other Councillor. THE OPERATIONS BUDGET – PART 2 Why this review of the Operating Budget? Well, these are facts that every ratepayer should be aware of. We are all effected by these items and the costs. A second reason for publicly discussing these items is more practical: by reviewing the Operating Budget, using several reference points, one concludes that there is little or no room for deviating from these obligations. Part 1 focused on those items mandated by the Provincial Government, no choice, just pay. Part 2 focuses on several areas of spending which are not mandated but are essential to an efficient functioning municipality. These include heat and hydro, insurance, lawyers and auditors, and consultant fees. HEAT AND HYDRO- The need is self – explanatory . Like any household, the municipality is subject to price fluctuations which can play havoc on a budget. We have conducted energy audits and replaced lighting with LEDs to decrease costs. With several buildings: town garage, arena, water and sewer
plants and the civic center, energy efficiency projects are expensive, almost prohibitive. Total cost for heat and hydro in the 2022 budget is $466,075. INSURANCE: No municipality functions without insurance, Similar to heat and hydro insurance, costs fluctuate with market trends, a $30,000 increase over the last few years. We are a captive payer since only two companies sell insurance to Ontario municipalities. Total cost for 2022 is $192,823. LAWYERS: Lawyers are essential to a municipal government. Their expertise is required when a municipality draws up a contract, composes new by-laws or revises old by-laws. Lawyers are often consulted to reassure staff and Council that an action committed or contemplated is appropriate and within municipal jurisdiction. Again the cost is fluid from year to year. The projected total for 2022 is $26,750. A cost related to this is that of auditors. The provincial government requires an annual audit for every municipality. Our cost is $36,300 for 2022. CONSULTANT FEES: Consultants are almost always a part of any project, big or small,
Notes d’un maire 9ième partie Thursday High 14 Low 9 Friday High 13 Low 11 Saturday High 18 Low 15 Sunday High 19 Low 14 Monday High 20 Low 13 Tuesday High 21 Low 15
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Vol. 27, Issue 3, September 15, 2022
Notes from a Mayor Part 9
Long Term Forecast
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Les opinions exprimées ici sont celles du maire et en aucun cas celles de l'un·e ou l'autre membre du Conseil. Le Budget De Fonctionnement – Deuxième Partie Pourquoi cette analyse du budget de fonctionnement? Eh bien, chaque contribuable devrait être au courant des faits rapportés
the municipality may contemplate. But why pay so much? Let's use the Lansdowne Street project as an example. Consultants were employed from the beginning: first, to determine what work should be done; second, to establish the financial parameters for tendering by construction companies; third, to supervise the job's progression to protect the municipality from shoddy workmanship and exorbitant cost increases. Consultants assure public safety, quality work and reasonable financial spending, Their expertise protects us. Consultant fees for 2022 are projected as $332,155. In summary, the mandatory costs in Part 1 were $1,188,175.00 or 13% of the total Operating Budget. Salaries and benefits are ser at 27%. This article's total for Heat and Hydro, Insurance, Lawyers and Auditors, and Consultants is $1,054,103 or approximately 12%. All three account for 52.5% of the total Operating Budget. The remaining expenses, such as gas costs, rolling stock operations and repairs, the Fire Department, and building maintenance and repairs will quickly consume the remaining dollars. All these obligations must be met annually without over burdening ratepayers.
ici. Ces postes budgétaires et les coûts associés nous concernent tous. Il existe une deuxième raison, plus pratique celle-là, pour discuter publiquement de ces sujets. En étudiant le budget de fonctionnement, à l'aide de plusieurs points de référence, on parvient à la conclusion qu'il y a peu ou pas de possibilité de nous soustraire à ces obligations. Dans la première partie qui traitait de ce sujet, j'ai abordé les postes
budgétaires imposés par le gouvernement provincial et pour lesquels nous n'avons d'autre choix que de payer. Dans cette deuxième partie, je traiterai de plusieurs domaines de dépenses qui ne sont pas obligatoires, mais qui sont essentiels au fonctionnement efficace d'une municipalité. Ceux-ci comprennent le chauffage et l'électricité, les assurances, les avocats et les vérificateurs, ainsi que les honoraires des consultants. Suite P.2
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