2025 budget pre-approvals made by Central Huron Council

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

The 2025 budget process is officially underway in Central Huron, with the first meeting being held last week to pre-approve a handful of purchases before the budget process begins in earnest next February.

 

At the meeting, held on Tuesday, Nov. 19, Central Huron Council approved just over $1 million in 2025 capital projects and $671,000 in the 2025 operating budget based on the recommendations from Director of Finance Jeff Boyes.

 

The capital project budget presented by Boyes for pre-approval included the replacement of the facilities storage shed ($275,000), the replacement of the lift truck box ($75,000), the replacement of the Osbourne submersible sewage pump ($31,500), the second of four years for the replacement of personal protective equipment for the Central Huron Fire Department ($22,000) and the rehabilitation of Bridge CHU40 on Maitland Line ($622,772) for a total of $1,026,272.

 

In the operating budget, funds were approved for the façade grant ($50,000), gravel hauling, crushing and sand ($270,000), the donation fund ($50,000), dust control ($101,000), the community guide ($14,000), Harvest Fest $30,000), grass-cutting ($126,000), Around the World in Central Huron ($5,000), Community Improvement education expense ($2,500) and the new records management project ($22,500) for a total of $671,000.

 

As part of his presentation, Boyes also outlined a number of factors to be considered in the upcoming budget process. He said that the impact of inflation on the operating budget is expected to be just under $86,000 and the three per cent salary increases are expected to cost the municipality an additional $90,810 in 2025. An 8.6 per cent increase to the municipality’s insurance coverage will result in additional charges of $43,343 and the increase to Central Huron’s policing costs will result in a bill of almost $365,000 above last year’s total. He did note, however, that the municipality’s Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) allocation will actually increase in 2025 after years of decreases, resulting in a further $255,000 coming into the municipality from the provincial government.

 

While council was largely supportive of the recommended spending from Boyes, there were some minor questions about some of the decisions being made. 

 

First, Deputy-Mayor Marg Anderson felt that the donation fund should remain at the 2024 level of $45,000 and not be increased by a further $5,000. She also wondered about skipping Harvest Fest next year, when Clinton will be marking its 150th homecoming. 

 

Several councillors, including Mayor Jim Ginn, pushed back on that suggestion, with Ginn saying that it has really become the municipality’s signature event. Council did decide, however, to skip fundraising for Clinton’s annual fireworks this year, as to not clash with a planned drone show by the Clinton Kinsmen that same weekend.

 

Council then voted on separate motions to keep the donation fund at the proposed $50,000 and to move forward with Harvest Fest in 2025, both of which passed. Council then voted to pre-approve the two budgets presented by Boyes.

 

The balance of the budget process will now have to wait until 2025, beginning with meetings on Feb. 4 and Feb. 19 to discuss the operating budgets for the year. Then, on meetings scheduled for March 4 and March 18, Boyes will delve into the capital budget with council.