Region approves budget with 1.8% tax bump

By Graeme McNaughton/The Oshawa Express

Following two days of debate in committee of the whole and another day by regional council, the Region of Durham’s budget for 2017 has been passed.

With the exception of funds being allocated elsewhere, the spending plan is pretty much the same as the document originally presented to councillors at the start of the budget process.

In total, the region will be gathering more than $526 million via property taxes, which are set to go up 1.8 per cent over last year. That increase amounts to an extra $45 per year on average for homeowners in the region.

The largest shift in dollars, approved during the committee of the whole process, is the allocation of $100,000 to go to the Oshawa Executive Airport. Following a motion proposed by Councillor Nancy Diamond, that money will be directed to the airport to aid in the financing of a new runway, work on which is set to get underway this year.

However, not all councillors were on board with this idea, with one saying the funds would be better served elsewhere.

“The thing that I’m concerned about, regardless if I come from Oshawa, being a regional councillor sitting here at the regional level…is the fact that we’re committing $100,000 to an airport and we said no to offering a break to transit users at the same amount of money,” said Councillor Amy McQuaid-England, referring to a motion she brought up earlier in the debate to have transit made free for those under the age of 12, which was resoundingly defeated.

“I think that it sends the wrong signal to the public. I appreciate, I support the airport, I support economic development, but not at the expense of other projects and other things that are happening at the region. We should’ve been focused on putting this money into transit, toward childcare. A hundred thousand dollars would get 10 single parents off the childcare waitlist.”

Others stated the money would benefit the region as a whole, with Councillor Joe Drumm of Whitby citing Mississauga and the economic activity there as a result of Lester B. Pearson International Airport.

Following an amendment by Councillor Joe Neal of Clarington, councillors approved the money on the condition that it be one-time only funding.

Voting against

When the final vote came on the budget, not every councillor voted in favour. Two councillors, Clarington’s Joe Neal and Oshawa’s John Neal, voted against the spending plan.

Speaking with The Oshawa Express, the Oshawa councillor said a big sticking point for him in this budget, as it has been in years past, is the Durham York Energy Centre.

“The costs and the delays, someone has to be over there to put those fires out, someone has to deal with the boilers, and then they have to do the maintenance. I think that this is a real sponge for money, all of our gas tax money,” he said, referring to the federal infrastructure funds being diverted to pay for the incinerator.

Neal also cited his concern with the growing number of dollars being directed to outside consultants, and the roadblocks that some councillors face when they try to find out more about where those tax dollars are going.

“I don’t think you can honestly vote for a budget where you don’t have the amount of detail, or not being able to find out who the consultants are, what are their names, what have they done?” he said.

Clarington’s Joe Neal, speaking during final comments of the budget, said that one of his main concerns with the 2017 budget was the growing number of staff at the region.

“Over the last four years, (the region has added) a total of 143 new positions at a cost of…over $15 million. We’re not growing that fast. In fact, we’re growing less than what was previously predicted,” he said.

“We’re continuing to grow the staff line year over year, and I think it’s one of the growth industries in our area.”

The 2017 budget includes $2 million ($3.7 million annualized) to go towards 36 new staff positions, as well as the annualization of 41 positions added in the 2016 budget.