Two of the boards chaired by the Timmins mayor are refusing to lower their budgets.
At tonight's Timmins council meeting, the 2024 tax rates are up for approval. The document shows that the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) and Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) are the only two agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs) that haven't lowered their budget to be in line with the city's increase.
A three per cent municipal levy increase was approved for Timmins in January. The tax rates aren't set until later in the year when the education rates and budgets from agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs) that impact tax bills are approved.
If the tax rates are approved as is, the municipal levy increase for 2024 is 3.89 per cent. The education rates are increasing 0.97 per cent, for a total levy increase of 3.55 per cent.
Council denied the ABC budgets in February, asking the organizations, which had pitched hikes ranging from 3.7 to 10 per cent, to get the increases closer to the three per cent that the city achieved.
RELATED: Timmins denies local board budget hikes
Six ABCs impact the Timmins budget. Three groups reduced their budget, and one was already at the target three per cent. The health unit and CDSSAB have not lowered their hikes. They are also the only two boards chaired by Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau.
Coun. Steve Black led the push to have the ABCs get in line with the city increase.
While he won't be at tonight's meeting, he took to his political Facebook page to comment on the item.
He's "disappointed" that the CDSSAB and PHU ignored the city's request and didn't try to reduce their budgets.
"I am out of town for the meeting tomorrow but if I was present I would vote against approving these budgets until the boards at least discuss potential ways to reduce the increase before saying they can’t make any reductions," he wrote.
"I could respect the board tabling a list of potential options to get to three per cent in various ways and then voting against them if they couldn’t support the reductions but to not even look at options is disappointing and I am happy all the boards I sit on did not take this approach."
The proposed ABC budget increases for 2024 are:
- Mattagami Region Conservation Authority - 3 per cent ($18,500) increase for a total 2024 budget of $636,500. This is the same increase originally proposed to the city and is in line with the increase asked for by council.
- Timmins Public Library - 2.82 per cent, down from the 5.10 per cent originally proposed.
- Timmins Economic Development Corporation - 3 per cent, down from the originally 6.46 per cent.
- Porcupine Health Unit - 10 per cent ($159,122) increase for a total budget of $1.7 million. This is the same increase originally proposed to the city.
- Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) - 6.56 per cent ($735,925) increase for a total budget of $11.9 million. This is the same increase originally proposed to the city.
- Timmins Police Services Board - 3 per cent increase, down from the 3.7 per cent increase originally proposed.
The dollar values for the new proposed increases were not included in the report.
The tax rates have not been approved yet. The full report is available here.
The council meeting is at 6 p.m. at city hall. You can watch the meeting live online here.
