The frustration was evident in Mayor Doug Leroux’s voice during the first presentation of a draft budget for 2022.
“We know that the increase in our budget for this coming 2022 year has been impacted greatly by the cost of policing at CNCC (Central North Correctional Centre),” Leroux told staff and council at a special committee of the whole meeting of Penetanguishene council.
Earlier this year, council instructed staff to bring forward budget estimates aiming at a maximum tax impact of 1.5%, in alignment with the calculated municipal price index (MPI).
The first draft budget for 2022, presented at the meeting, stated a 3.1% tax impact from the loss of the CNCC cost recovery. That amounts to a $345,904 increase.
At the heart of the matter lies the CNCC, a provincial institution which had its funding for policing ceased in 2019 by the Minister of the Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, as part of a province-wide roll-out for a new pricing program.
It was anticipated that Penetanguishene taxpayers were expecting to look at up to $400,000 as a result of the ceased policy, which prompted Leroux and CAO Jeff Lees to request face-to-face meetings with Jones repeatedly through the year.
At the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference last month, Leroux and Lees were able to secure a 10-minute delegation with Jones to discuss the issue, which was also attended as well by local MPP Jill Dunlop.
It was a meeting that Leroux felt “was much too short” to discuss the matter.
“I just want to inform and let council know that late last week, I did receive an email from Solicitor General (Sylvia) Jones, thanking us very much for our participation at AMO and indicating that her department would be in touch with us soon,” said Leroux to council with a drawn-out emphasis on the final word.
There was frustration in the mayor’s voice.
“I do intend to write the Solicitor General again reiterating that we want, require and request a face-to-face meeting. And we are going to cc the premier on this. We will keep council abreast and in the loop and we’ll have a report at our Oct. 13 council meeting, at which time maybe I will be looking at an in-camera session,” Leroux intimated.
“So at the moment, there’s not a great deal of input that can be done in regards to what is showing in the tax increase due to that CNCC.”
CAO Lees highly commended staff for their thoroughness in preparing the exhaustive draft, reminding everyone that to reach the overall 1.5% maximum tax rate for 2022, “that there’s several opportunities down the road to look at different components within the budget.”
Minister of the Solicitor General Sylvia Jones was unavailable for comment.
In an emailed response, Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop said she appreciates the added impact the tax increase would have on residents.
"It’s important to underscore the fact that correctional facilities have positive impacts on communities through well-paying local jobs and locally sourced contracts, including in Penetanguishene," she said.
"I am grateful that the Solicitor General has ensured the town will continue to be paid for policing costs related to the Central North Correctional Centre while it transitions to the Ontario Provincial Police’s billing model in 2022.”
Penetanguishene staff were instructed to look into council’s directions and report back for a meeting next month.
The first 2022 draft budget report is available within the special committee of the whole agenda on the Town of Penetanguishene website.
