Wainfleet Council Passes 2022 Budget

Wainfleet Council passed its 2022 municipal budget at a special meeting held on March 22, 2022.

With previous budgets aimed at tackling debt management and an ever widening infrastructure gap faced by many Ontario municipalities, Council has positioned itself well to meet the Township’s budgetary needs while keeping rates lower than in past years.

“Past years budgets have been difficult to manage and there was a great deal of catching up to do,” said Wainfleet Mayor Kevin Gibson.  “I’m very proud of all the Councillors for sticking to getting that work done and getting us back on track and of our residents whose feedback and support of our Council have made this possible.” 

The trend towards artificially low tax rates and even zero increases in the several decades since the 1990s, while popular with many voters, has not only left a legacy of crumbling bridges and other infrastructure in its wake, but has also meant that attempts to correct the infrastructure gap has had to be done with much higher construction costs and, now, with added inflationary pressures.

The issue of maintenance aside, Councils are also facing the realities of having to plan for the future needs of their municipalities in terms of funding new construction, the current replacement of obsolete buildings and the raising of funds for future replacements of new construction. 

Speaking of the fiscal realities facing the Township and other municipalities, Wainfleet Treasurer Mallory Luey described the relationship between meeting infrastructure needs, maintaining assets and building for the future in a municipal setting as “a most delicate balance” and acknowledged the dedication of Wainfleet’s Council in making the commitments to infrastructure needed to move forward as well as being conscious of inflationary costs.  “Councils commitment to responsible increases slightly above the rate of inflation means that residents will start to see the positive effects of that both now and in the years to come,” she said.

“There is certainly a lot of future work to be done but careful stewardship has allowed us to begin closing the gap and manage our municipal infrastructure assets,” said Operations Manager Richard Nan.  The projects moving forward this year include the much anticipated Gents Road Bridge, as well as the Community Complex Renovation. This renovation is a 4 year project which includes over $1M in combined federal and provincial funding and will see improvements to the Township baseball diamonds, soccer fields, washrooms, and tennis court, as well as a new pavilion and walking trail.

The Township’s proposed new Fire Hall to replace the obsolete Station 1 (Winger) and Station 2 (Wainfleet Village) as the Wainfleet Fire Department’s primary Headquarters has carried over from previous years and is poised to begin construction this year, pending final direction from Council.  Wainfleet Fire Chief Morgan Alcock, said “the funding strategy for this project, presented to Council in 2020, utilizes a combination of Tax Levy and Reserves to phase in the total annual debt repayment amount which allows Council to provide the necessary resources to fund the project while also ensuring the impact to the Tax Levy is not overly excessive.”    

The professionalization and modernization of Fire service delivery continued in 2022 as well, with funds allocated to a wide array of priorities.  “I am incredibly thankful to Council for their continued support and investments in the Fire Service over the past several years in providing sufficient resources to build and modernize with the ultimate goal of sustainability for the Community,” said Chief Alcock.  “It is clear that both Council and the community trust and support us, and we will do everything we can to protect and be worthy of that valued trust.”

Mayor Gibson said that after some significant increases in preceding years, Wainfleet’s 2022 Budget was partly aimed at getting the municipality’s financial ship pointed the right direction and partly a response to inflationary pressures, such as material cost and significant insurance increases. 

“The Councillors and I have made a point to talk frankly and openly with residents as much as possible to stay connected with what is important in their lives, so that as elected officials, we can be informed and make the kinds of decisions that reflect the standards and needs of our community,” he said.  “I’m so impressed with the dedication of all Members of Council who, even despite the challenges of the pandemic, have done what we needed to do and the massive support we’ve received from many Township residents throughout this time.”

The 2022 Budget passed by Wainfleet Council includes $9,710,857 in Capital Expenditures, $5,965,094 for Operating Requirements and a $1,117,874 contribution to the infrastructure levy.  

Overall, the budget will result in an additional $0.70 cents per day in property taxes for the average residential home assessed at $294,450.  This amounts to $256.79 over the course of the year – a 5.9% increase versus 2021.  This tax levy change closely correlates to the 5.7% increase in Canadian consumer prices, year over year, announced by Statistics Canada on March 16, 2022.  Property taxes include municipal, regional and educational portions.