County council gives initial approval to $638M budget with 2% tax hike

Increased demand for essential services will see a major uptick in staff hired say county officials, with 44 new positions proposed in departments such as paramedics and long-term care

County of Simcoe councillors voted in favour of the 2022 draft budget as part of their committee of the whole meeting on Nov. 9. The decision will need to be ratified at their Nov. 23 meeting.Screenshot

County councillors talked numbers on Tuesday morning, and in the end, showed support for the 2022 draft budget with a two per cent increase for the taxpayer. Though the budget is not yet a done deal.

Last week (on Nov. 4), the $638-million operating and capital draft budget with a two per cent tax rate increase was initially presented during a special meeting.

The budget was supported by councillors during a committee of whole meeting on Tuesday morning, which includes funds for many hot-button projects such as the new automated waste collection contract, three major affordable housing developments in Barrie, Orillia and Bradford West Gwillimbury and the addition of more than 44 new full-time, permanent staff positions.

“Many of our services are considered essential services. Those essential services are seeing a significant increased demand through the pandemic and just in general as growth builds. The need was there,” said Trevor Wilcox, general manager of corporate performance. He noted 32 of the new staff requested through the 2022 budget are for essential human services.

Staff are proposing 44.3 new full-time equivalent positions be added in 2022. Six of those positions were already employed by the county on a temporary basis as part of the 2021 budget, and are proposed as permanent positions in the draft 2022 budget.

New positions would include 1.4 staff for the Simcoe County Museum, two public relations consultants, two accounting positions, one IT position, 13.8 new positions in paramedic services, 13 new long-term care positions (which includes 10.9 new PSWs), 1.2 senior services positions, one position for a clerk for children’s services, one new community services position, three new housing corporation staff, 1.6 new transportation staff, one transit analyst and 1.5 staff for Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.

“That’s where we’ve seen the demand, and we’re responding to that this year,” said Wilcox.

For comparison, in 2021, the addition of 19 full-time equivalent positions was approved.

The 2022 draft budget, containing operating and capital expenditures, can be further broken down as follows:

Paramedic Services - $64.3 million
Long-term care – Homes - $93.6 million
Long-term care – Seniors services - $10.6 million
Transportation and engineering - $56.9 million
Solid Waste Management - $77 million
Children’s Services - $46.3 million
Community Services - $14.2 million
Ontario Works - $88 million
Social housing - $102.2 million
General municipal services - $28.9 million
Other departments - $56.1 million

COVID-19 impacts to the County of Simcoe in 2022 are estimated at about $7.4 million.

“We have some significant infrastructure needs and there are some really large projects we’re taking on in 2022,” said Warden George Cornell, pointing to specific examples.

Figures provided represent the amount in the 2022 budget for these projects, not the entire projected cost, which, in many cases, is spread out over multiple budget years.

There are three major affordable housing developments included in next year’s budget, including one each in the City of Orillia ($36.6 million), the City of Barrie ($125,000) and the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury ($12.5 million).

There are funds allocated for the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport strategic plan and the redevelopment of Simcoe Village in Beeton.

Paramedic Services forecasts are calling for volume growth to be 5.7 per cent in 2022, which will come with an operational price tag of $56.9 million. Salaries and benefits account for $47.5 million of that.

The Solid Waste Management operating budget in 2022 includes an operating balance of $53 million, compared to $39.6 million in 2021, in part due to the full implementation of the new automated curbside collection waste management contract.

Major road construction projects in 2022 include County Roads 4 in Innisfil, 21 in Alcona and Essa Township, 22 in Oro-Medonte Township and 93 in Penetanguishene with road, bridge and intersection components.

“We’re excited about this,” said Cornell. “We’re at about $132 million in capital projects in 2022. It’s significant. There’s an increase and demand in needs from residents of the County of Simcoe.”

Barrie and Orillia residents do not pay taxes at the county level, as they are separated cities. Instead, the two municipalities allocate a specific amount in their own budgets to pay for the use of some county services and capital project costs.

For the separated City of Barrie, its contribution will come with a price tag of $29.2 million for 2022, an increase of 8.9 per cent over 2021 budget numbers.

For the separated City of Orillia, its contribution will come with a price tag of $8.2 million for 2022, an increase of 7.1 per cent over 2021.

The County of Simcoe 2022 draft budget will be before council on Nov. 23 for final approval.

Where do your county tax dollars go?

For every $100,000 of MPAC assessment on a home in Simcoe County, the taxpayer will pay $279.03 in 2022 in county taxes. Here’s what each service will receive as part of the tax levy: