Plans to hike taxes by 5.25 per cent and hire two more staff members won’t be challenged when Woolwich moves to make official the 2012 budget, suggests Mayor Todd Cowan. A vote is expected Feb. 21, but no further review seems likely, council having completed its budget deliberations. While the document was given more scrutiny than in past years, with particular focus on cost overruns at the Woolwich Memorial Centre, the bulk of staff recommendations remain in place. That includes two of three proposed new hires, but no scrutiny of current full-time staffing numbers.
The budget does, however, include cuts to some causal and part-time staff members, including lifeguards and front desk personnel, to help tame expenses at the WMC.
Chief administrative officer David Brenneman said full-time managerial staff was not spared at the expense of part-timers such as students working at the pool.
“It just so happens that – when we were doing a review – that’s where we were staffed to a point where we could make reductions,” he said this week in discussing efficiencies review that was part of this year’s budget process.
Although there are fewer part-time employees, the township has no plans to reduce middle-management positions, he added, noting managers tend to be hands-on workers as well, able to cover for those positions to be eliminated.
Having talked of a review of staff levels, particularly newer positions such as economic development, business development and building maintenance, prior to the 2010 election, Cowan said he’s satisfied with continuing the positions, even though there are no measurements in place to evaluate their effectiveness.
“They do a heck of a lot more than I expected coming in,” he said, adding he has been demanding more accountability, including a cost-benefit analysis of each position.
He also has no problem with two new hires. One, an engineering technician, will essentially be funded by revenues from development. The other, another administrative assistant/communications person, is justified due to the current workload assisting the CAO and council, as well as the perceived need for more communication with the public.
The additions would bring to 63 the number of full-time staff members, up from 56 five years ago. In that time, total staff costs, including part-timers such as firefighters (304 people, up from 272 in 2008) has increased 26.4 per cent, to $6.05 million from $4.8 million.
Cowan denied there’s been no political pushback against spending increases on staff. Just because there have been no cuts to date doesn’t mean that will remain the case, he said.
It’s not easy to make changes, though he pledges to do that, starting with attitudes within the staff.
“This is round 1 – it takes a while to turn the ship,” he said of this year’s budget review. “Are there going to be other changes? Definitely.”
For this year, however, he expects the budget to remain as is, with no last-minute challenges – “where it’s at, it’s at.”
For his part, Brenneman says the search for efficiencies started in 2012 is not a one-off review.
“We’re going to continue down that path. There’s still work to be done.”
One part of the work to be done involves negotiating a new contract with the township’s unionized workers. The provincial government has called for a public sector wage freeze, but without legislation Brenneman isn’t optimistic municipalities will be able to keep wages, which account for half the township’s operating costs, under wraps. As with most contracts, the township will be subject to what’s going on in other municipalities, as well as the results of the provincial arbitration process, which typically has not been friendly to taxpayers.
As with other municipalities, Woolwich is also constrained by excessive provincial legislation when it tries to curb staff spending. Unnecessary measures have boosted costs for everything from water testing to fire services, where there are now three full-time staff members when a few years ago there was only a part-time chief.
Between those requirements and the service expectations of both the public and council, there’s a much larger demand on staff time, said Brenneman, acknowledging that some of the functions appear to have little direct benefit to the public.
“We do make a concerted effort to provide value for the tax dollar,” he stressed.
Larger changes are going to take political will, with direction from council. For now at least, Cowan said he’s in favour of increased spending based on what he heard from people while going door-to-door during the election campaign and in subsequent consultations.
“That’s what I have to take my lead from,” he said, arguing the extra spending and tax hikes are “the cost of doing business” if the township wants to be a player in the region’s development picture.
“I’m going to do what I feel is the right thing.”
