Morris-Turnberry Council passes 2022 budget

BY DENNY SCOTT

Morris-Turnberry Council has officially adopted its 2022 budget by bylaw after approving the final draft earlier this month.

After incorporating the changes council had flagged during its budget review on March 1, Director of Finance Sean Brophy said the municipal tax levy, the amount of money necessary for balancing the budget after taking into account assessment-based taxation and other non-taxation forms of revenue, is $4,461,205 in 2022, up from $4,103,093 in 2021. That increase of $358,112, or 8.73 per cent, comes after a tax assessment increase of nearly $7 million or 1.33 per cent over the 2021 weighted taxable assessment of $521,794.264.

Taking into account the municipal tax rate increase, which works out to 7.3 per cent, the increase by Huron County of 2.13 per cent and no change for education taxation, the total tax rate increase will work out to 4.8 per cent, Brophy said, down from his original estimate of 4.9 per cent.

He said an average single-family home in Morris-Turnberry, which is assessed at $226,031, would see its annual taxes increase from $3,164.21 last year to $3,316.08 this year, or an increase of $151.87 over the year.
Deputy-Mayor Sharen Zinn congratulated Brophy and the rest of staff on bringing the budget in lower than anticipated, saying every little bit helps before council passed the budget.

Brophy did walk council through a number of highlights of the budget, including capital projects scheduled for 2022.
He highlighted the expansion of the Brussels fire hall, which is set to cost approximately $1 million. Brophy explained Morris-Turnberry, as 45 per cent owners of the fire hall, is responsible for 45 per cent of one-third of the cost, or approximately $333,333 of the renovation, with the rest coming from other sources. He said Morris-Turnberry’s portion works out to approximately $150,000, 25 per cent of which ($37,500) will be paid in 2022 with the remaining $112,500 to be paid next year. Reserves earmarked for fire protection will be used to cover Morris-Turnberry’s portion of the cost, he said. 

The municipality is also undertaking a number of paving projects this year costing $685,000. Included is six kilometres of paving on Glenannon Road ($150,000), 4.1 kilometres on Clyde Line ($460,000) and a three-kilometre stretch of third coat for Salem Road ($75,000). Funds from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund will cover $232,257 of the Clyde Line project, Brophy said, leaving the net cost to ratepayers of $452,743.

Morris-Turnberry will also be working on a number of bridge projects throughout the year as well, totalling $1,904,105. 
Included is the completion of the Smuck Bridge on Abraham Line ($1,389,105), a culvert replacement on McCall Line ($500,000) and design work for a bridge on Moncrieff Road ($15,000). 

Brophy estimates that $1,265,209 will be provided through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) for the Smuck Bridge project, as well as $217,464 to offset the McCall Line project, leaving the net cost for ratepayers at $421,432.

The Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre renovation will have a net cost to ratepayers of $64,180 in 2022 after council approved using $63,500 in reserves to offset the $127,680 the municipality is paying towards the multi-million dollar project this year. Brophy said he anticipates paying $75,000 per year for the project from 2023 to 2027.

Morris-Turnberry will also be providing $5,000 to the Bluevale Community Centre and $10,000 to the Belmore Community Centre from COVID-19 funds, meaning there will be no impact to ratepayers. The funds are meant to offset shortfalls experienced by the volunteer-led centre boards due to the pandemic.

The budget also includes a $115,000 grant to North Huron Township to offset usage of North Huron recreation assets by Morris-Turnberry ratepayers. The funds are broken down by centre, including $45,000 for the North Huron Wescast Community Complex arena, $35,000 for the Wescast centre pool and $35,000 for the Blyth and District Community Centre arena. When initially discussing the issue during its March 1 meeting, Morris-Turnberry Council decided not to support staffing and administration costs at the North Huron sites, the gym at the Wescast centre or the upper meeting hall at the Blyth centre.

Council approved the budget, as well as approving the changes to reserves over the year, which Brophy said were nearly neutral with only an estimated $1,000 difference between 2021 and 2022.