​Huron-Kinloss council hammers out 2025 budget with 4.75% tax-rate increase

Huron-Kinloss council met Friday to review the draft 2025 budget, and by the end of the day, had hammered out a final product, with a 4.75-per-cent tax-rate increase. This equates to an extra $91.58 on the average residential assessment of $266,435.

Treasurer Christine Heinisch presented the proposed operating budget, with expenses of almost $11.5-million, as well as a $3.1-million capital budget.

She said the budget requires an increase of $675,615 in tax dollars over 2024, which results in a municipal residential tax-rate increase of 4.75 per cent. The education rate remains the same as 2024, and the Bruce County levy has a 4.92-per-cent increase.

Present for the budget discussions, were mayor Don Murray, councillors Shari Flett and Ed McGugan, with deputy mayor Jim Hanna and councillor Carl Sloetjes attending on-line. Absent, were councillors Larry Allison and Scott Gibson.

Murray began the meeting by thanking all the roads staff, municipal staff and first-responders, for their hard work over the past week of difficult winter weather and road closures.

“The public works department and our first-responders deserve a round of applause,” he said. “Keep up the good work.”

The treasurer then outlined the proposed budget, and chief administrative officer Jodi MacArthur thanked all the staff members for their efforts in pulling together this year’s budget.

“We want to be progressive, but recognize that inflation is a challenge,” she said. “It’s important to meet the necessary level of service to ensure our residents have what they need.”

Deputy mayor Jim Hanna said his only concern about the budget is that the township is spending a lot from reserves and reserve funds.

Heinisch said the budget has $2.38-million coming from reserves, but that is for capital projects.

“That’s what the reserves are for, right?” asked councillor Ed McGugan.

“Yes,” said Heinisch.

“Typically, we are very conservative with the funds going into reserve,” said MacArthur. “When it comes to the actual cost, the budget usually exceeds what we predicted. What looks like we’re depleting the reserves, is likely from a project that came in under-budget. We’re not drawing all that money strictly from reserves.”

When asked how funds are transferred into reserves, Heinisch said the transfers are for such projects as the election fund or the landfill site. Some are grants received for projects, such as bridge replacement.

“Water and wastewater fees go into reserves for those capital costs,” she said.

Council then began to review the budget by department, including corporate services, building and planning, fire and emergency services, public works, and community services, with department heads available to answer questions.

Under health care, council agreed to put $100,000 in the budget for the Kincardine Hospital redevelopment project.

Murray agreed with maintaining the township’s commitment for this project. However, he said that at some point, the township needs to take a stand on health-care spending because it is not a municipal responsibility. “We’ve already done what we can with the two medical clinics in Lucknow and Ripley.”

The township also contributes $17,000, annually, to the Kincardine physician recruitment program, and $10,368 to the Wingham area physician recruitment committee.

Among some of the major projects, are the following:
 

• Ripley Downtown Revitalization, $64,000
• Downtown Improvement Program, $75,000
• Comprehensive review of township’s Official Plan, $100,000
• Lucknow floodplain mapping, $120,000
• Decontamination room at the Lucknow Fire Station, $80,000
• Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus fill station replacement, $85,000
• Decontamination room at the Ripley-Huron Fire Station, $49,000
• Asphalt Paving, Lake Range Drive hill at Concession 4 (carry over from 2024), $100,000
• Asphalt Paving, Kinloss-Culross Boundary (with South Bruce), Lurgan Lane, Cedar Close, Spruce Crescent, Ash Street, Winnebago Road, Tyendinaga Road in Point Clark, $500,000
• Micro-surfacing Lake Range Drive, from Concession 4 to Saratoga Road, $760,000
• Rehabilitation of Gough Street bridge in Lucknow, $340,000
• Road portion of Clark Creed, MacIntyre Drain, Bruce Beach Phase 1, $530,000
• Boiler Beach Road reconstruction, installing new storm sewers, catch basins and outlets at various locations between Concession 10 and Huronville Street, $100,000
• Spruce/Cedar/Ash Street storm sewers, $150,000
• Ripley sidewalks, $390,000
• Lucknow sidewalks, $220,000
• Gough Street, Lucknow, reconstruction, $1.09-million
• Pick-up trucks, $120,000
• Grader refurbishment, $120,000
• One-tonne truck, $175,000
• Gough Street watermain replacement, $290,000
• Ross Street pumping station renovation, $100,000
• Environmental Assessment for new well in the southern lakeshore area, $150,000
• Class Environmental Assessment for new well storage facility in the northern lakeshore area, $275,000
• Stand-by generator in Point Clark, $120,000
• Ripley-Huron Community Centre facility enhancement, $80,000
• Convert Ripley-Huron Community Centre, Lucknow Library and town hall, and Lucknow Fire Station to natural gas, $90,000
• Lighthouse Park play equipment replacement, $70,000
• Kincardine Recreation Agreement, $111,500
• Net cost after revenue applied for operation of the Ripley-Huron Community Centre and the Point Clark Community Centre, $666,517
• Huron-Kinloss’ share of the cost for the Lucknow and District Sports Complex, $239,475

During discussion of the public works budget, director John Yungblut said the micro-surfacing of Lake Range Drive is required to preserve the paved roadway. “It’s a very busy road. This is a great investment in order to save that road.”

As for the elevated storage tank along the lakeshore, Yungblut said the proposal would be for a site north of Concession 10 along Lake Range Drive. “If the lakeshore boundary expands east of Lake Range, we could look at other sites. We need an acre of land for the storage tank.”

“Maybe we could consider locating it beside the proposed indoor sports facility,” said McGugan. “People object to that facility but they wouldn’t object to a water tower.”

“We’d have to look at it as a possibility,” said Yungblut.

MacArthur said that location is not ideal because it would be more costly to extend the trunk main there. A better location would be further south.

“It’s all part of the evaluation process,” said Yungblut.

At the end of the meeting, council approved a motion that the budget come forward, as presented, with a 4.75-per-cent tax-rate increase, for approval at the March council meeting.