Operating Budget Book: 2023

2023 BUDGET

OPERATING BUDGET

Land Acknowledgement The City of Owen Sound wishes to acknowledge the Territory of the Anishinabek Nation: The People of the Three Fires known as Ojibway, Odawa, and Pottawatomie Nations. And further gives thanks to the Chippewas of Saugeen, and the Chippewas of Nawash, now known as the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, as the traditional keepers of this land.

Table of Contents 04-05

06-07

08-09

11

About, Transparency & Accountability

Organizational Chart

Citizen Satisfaction Survey

By the Numbers

14-15

18-19

20-21

22-23, 25

Operating Grant Glossary

Funding Sources, Revenue Streams

Tax Dollar Breakdown

Strategic Priorities & Budget Impacts

Features Operational Highlights

Community Partners

See highlights of 2022 on pages 10, 12-13, 16-17, and 28-29.

See important partnerships on pages 24, and 26-27

Appendices 31 33

Appendix A: Segmented Budget Sheet Appendix B: Operating Budget and Variance Detail Sheets 3

About Owen Sound Protected by the Niagara Escarpment, Owen Sound is a beautiful, green city home to cultural riches. With a population of 22,000 residents, the City of Owen Sound continues to be the urban heart of Grey County and a welcoming community to raise a family, start a business, or just enjoy an unrivalled quality of life.

75%

of residents are satisfied with the services delivered by the City of Owen Sound.

2021 Citizen Satisfaction Survey 4

Transparency & Accountability Grant Glossary The purpose of this Budget Book is to help Council, citizens and other stakeholders understand the City’s Budget.

The City’s revenues and other sources of funds are allocated to programs, services, infrastructure building and maintenance, and reserves that help ensure our longterm financial sustainability. The Operating Budget supports the Capital Budget and ensures the City’s core service provision and Grant Glossary customer service are of the highest priority and quality.

To help maintain transparency and accountability in regard to the City of Owen Sound’s annual budget, detailed budget reports, financial statements, tax rates, financial information returns and more can be found on our website at:

OWENSOUND.CA/BUDGET or OWENSOUND.CA/TAX 5

City Organizational Chart

CITY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND COMMUNICATIONS

TIM SIMMONDS

CORPORATE SERVICES

COMMUNITY SERVICES

DIRECTOR KATE ALLAN

DIRECTOR PAM COULTER

ACCOUNTING

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

BUILDING

ARENA OPERATIONS

REVENUE

CLERKS & BY-LAW

PARKS & OPEN SPACES

PLANNING & HERITAGE

PURCHASING, RISK & ASSET MANAGEMENT

HUMAN RESOURCES

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

FACILITY SERVICES

6

73%

of residents who contacted the city were happy with the service they received from city staff.

2021 Citizen Satisfaction Survey

POLICE SERVICES

NORTH GREY UNION PUBLIC LIBRARY

CHIEF CRAIG AMBROSE

CEO & CHIEF LIBRARIAN TIM NICHOLLS HARRISON

PUBLIC WORKS & ENGINEERING

FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES

TOM THOMSON ART GALLERY

DIRECTOR LARA WIDDIFIELD

CHIEF PHIL EAGLESON

DIRECTOR & CHIEF CURATOR AIDAN WARE

ENGINEERING

ROADS & WINTER MAINTENANCE

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES/ TRANSIT

WATER DISTRIBUTION

WATER TREATMENT

WASTEWATER TREATMENT

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Citizen Satisfaction Survey In 2021 the City of Owen Sound conducted its first Citizen Satisfaction Survey.

Public input is a key driver for decision-making, and informs policy decisions, budgetary spending, and continuous improvement.

Public engagement through statistically significant surveys and other engagement tools offers an opportunity to hear from citizens about their topof-mind issues of importance and satisfaction with City services, and builds stronger relationships with the public. The next Citizen Satisfaction Survey in Owen Sound is planned to take place in 2024.

74%

of residents rate their quality of life as good or excellent.

2021 Citizen Satisfaction Survey

74%

of residents are satisfied with the services delivered by the City of Owen Sound.

2021 Citizen Satisfaction 8

Prioritizing Services for Review A gap analysis was conducted to identify the difference between the perceived importance of each service and level of satisfaction. Although individual satisfaction scores of services are important, it is through understanding the correlation between satisfaction and importance that identifies which services should be prioritized for improvement.

The services which have relatively lower satisfaction scores, but are stronger drivers of satisfaction for the City’s overall level of service (aligned by Strategic Priority) are:

By-law Services

Garbage and Recycling Collection

Winter Maintenance - Sidewalks

Downtown Revitalization

Services such as fire and police services, as well as recreation facilities have higher individual satisfaction, but lower impact on overall satisfaction scores.

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Operational Highlights: Our City Owen Sound In June of 2022, the City launched Our City Owen Sound, a new online engagement platform. This Interactive space invites you to get involved with your community by sharing your feedback, ideas, and questions on City projects, initiatives, and services. www.ourcity.owensound.ca

One of Council’s Strategic Priorities is Collaborative City, with the objective of maintaining and improving relationships through engagement.

10

Our City Owen Sound is a method to more easily and accessibly gather public input and feedback on various projects.

Owen Sound By the Numbers Distributed

in Community Improvement Grants for facade and other improvements in the River District.

New Units Residential Total construction value of

$43,757,950

in 2022, up 19.5% over the past year.

Fire Safety inspections completed at hotels, motels, schools, daycares, churches, industrial and service providers.

1,086 Median number of daily pedestrians in the River District during the summer, making use of added attractions such as Music at the Market, movie nights and more.

Average weekly visitors to Harrison Park year-round to access playgrounds, trails, the pool, restaurant, and more.

Calls for service to the Owen Sound Police Services in 2022.

visitors to the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in 2022.

excluding external events and programs

ballots were cast in the 2022 Municipal Election, 81% of which were cast using the internet.

visitors passed through the Owen Sound Visitor Centre in the summer of 2022.

Estimated value of reserves at the end of 2022.

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Operational Highlights: 100% Water Quality Rating “This perfect score is credited to the staff in our Water and Wastewater Divisions.

These essential service providers worked hard throughout the pandemic, and have kept up the highest standards for safety and quality of the drinking water in our City.” – Mayor Ian Boddy The City of Owen Sound has received a perfect score for drinking water quality from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for 2021.

158.6 KM The City of Owen Sound water system has approximately 158.6 kilometres of watermains and 7,200 connections.

12

The Operations Committee received the annual City of Owen Sound Water System report at their meeting on March 8, 2022, where staff announced that not only did the City pass inspection from the MECP, but achieved a 100% score.

The annual provincial inspection is a legislative requirement of all municipal drinking water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act. It ensures the City is meeting MECP legislation, policies and guidelines.

Operational Highlights: Two Economic Development Awards The City of Owen Sound was awarded two top prizes at the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) Awards of Excellence in April, winning both the Planning & Strategic Development Award and Workforce Development and Resident Attraction Award.

The River District Action Plan, a collaborative marketing, branding, and action strategy between the City of Owen Sound and the River District Board of Management, took home the EDCO Award in the Planning & Strategic Development (Rural) category.

The City’s Work from Home Capital of Canada© initiative won the award in the Workforce Development and Resident Attraction (Rural) category. The initiative was created to capitalize on the desire and ability of people to work from home on a more permanent basis during the global pandemic.

The River District Action Plan and the Work from Home Capital of Canada© initiatives each played a vital role to support existing businesses, new business start-ups, and worked to engage young people, entrepreneurs, innovators, and creative citizens in facilitating economic growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

14,133

Work From Home Capital of Canada website visits during the six week campaign; 53% of website visitors were from Toronto and the GTA 13

Operating Grant Glossary Grants are sums of money given by a government or other organization for a particular use. The City receives multiple grants each year that support our operations.

Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) Province of Ontario

The OMPF is the Province’s main general assistance grant to municipalities.

2023 Funding: $1,961,600 Use: 100% of the OMPF grant is applied against the City’s operating budget.

Transit Grants COVID Safe Restart Fund

This grant covers transit costs associated with COVID and lost revenues.

Community Safety Court Security Province of Ontario This fund offsets municipal costs associated with providing security to provincial courthouses.

2022 Funding: $375,000

Community Safety & Policing Local Priorities

Phase 1: $172,229

This is allocated against part-time officers and mobile mental health and addictions response team costs under Police Services

Phase 2: $82,928

2023 Funding: $183,750

Phase 3: $155,449 Phase 4: $103,258

Gas Tax (Provincial)

This Grant is dedicated for expansion and operations of public transit systems.

2022 Funding: $251,000 14

Community Safety & Policing Provincial Priorities This is allocated against downtown core uniformed officers and analysts costs under Police Services 2023 Funding: $400,000

Operating Grant Glossary Tom Thomson Art Gallery

Community Events

Artistic Catalyst: Engage & Sustain Canada Council for the Arts

Reconnect Festival and Event Program Province of Ontario

This operational funding is for organizations that facilitate connections between artists and the public.

This program funds experiences that encourage people to rediscover our communities safely.

2023 Funding: $70,000 ($280,000 over 4 years, 2020-2023)

2022 Funding: $29,000 Use: Music at the Market and Harbour Nights Concert Series

Public Art Galleries: Operating Ontario Arts Council This program supports the ongoing operations of not-for-profit, professional public art galleries in Ontario.

2023 Funding: $50,000 requested

Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Province of Ontario This program funds experiences that increase cultural tourism and foster economic growth.

2022 Funding: $25,000 Use: The Sound Waterfront Festival

The 2023 Operating Budget includes more than

$2,500,000 in anticipated grant and municipal funding.

Celebrate Ontario Province of Ontario Celebrate Canada provides funding for activities organized on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Saint-JeanBaptiste Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day. 2022 Funding: $12,000 Use: Canada Day

15

Operational Highlights: Launch of the OPEN Card In 2022, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library, Billy Bishop Museum, and Marine and Rail Waterfront Museum, launched the OPEN Card; a highly innovative, free membership program that links all four institutions.

The OPEN Card is available to anyone eligible for a Library Card and provides the holder access to all of the resources of the Library, as well as free membership to the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Billy Bishop Museum, and the Marine and Rail Waterfront Museum. As an additional benefit, through the TOM’s affiliation with the Ontario Association of Art Galleries, the cardholder also has free admission to over 100 Ontario art galleries. This partnership initiative has resulted in some incredible new collaborative projects that will see actualization in 2023.

3,000%

increase in Art Gallery membership since the adoption of the OPEN Card.

16

2022 membership totals 8,830.

Where to use your OPEN Card Tom Thomson Art Gallery The TOM was established in commemoration of iconic Canadian landscape artist Tom Thomson who grew up on the shores of Georgian Bay, in Leith, Ontario, just north of Owen Sound.

Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library Inside a renovated 1914 Carnegie building, the library houses thousands of helpful resources.

Visitors can also use WiFi, computers, mobile apps, request materials, and rent rooms for outside functions.

Billy Bishop Museum

Marine & Rail Museum

The Billy Bishop Home & Museum is a National Historic Site of Canada that commemorates the life and achievements of World War I flying ace and Victoria Cross winner Air Marshall William Avery “Billy” Bishop, and Canada’s aviation history.

Housed in a former Canadian National Railway Station on the waterfront, the Museum’s artifacts, scale models, archival photos, and interactive stations bring to life the days of sail and steam. Discover the history and heritage of an era when Owen Sound was called “the Chicago of the North.”

17 17

Operating Budget Funding Sources

62% Property Taxes Property tax bills are divided between the City of Owen Sound, the County of Grey and the local school boards. Owen Sound uses its portion to pay for City programs and services. including fire and emergency services, parks and trails, recycle collection, snow removal, and capital repairs and investments to roads and facilities.

Grants

Total Proposed 2023 Tax Levy:

8%

The City of Owen Sound benefits from almost $3 million in grant funding for the 2023 Operating Budget. City Staff work hard to use grants from the government and other organizations to extend the investment of each tax payer’s dollar in City services.

$33,135,964 24% User Fees & Other Revenue

User fees and other revenue contribute to the operating budget to help maintain the services provided by the City that are only used by a portion of residents, visitors and developers.

18

OMPF Funding

6%

Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) is the Province’s main general assistance grant to municipalities. The program primarily supports northern and rural municipalities across the province with limited property assessment.

Non-tax Revenue Streams The City of Owen Sound implements user fees and service charges to help offset the required tax levy for core services provided. These other sources of revenue contribute to the Operating Budget and help enhance the quality of services offered. Examples of fees and charges and the revenue they earned in 2022 include:

Garbage Bag Tags: $490,000 Marriage & Other Licences: $115,000 Parking Revenue (passes & tickets): $130,000 Campground Rentals: $370,000 Bus Tickets & Passes: $250,000 Facility Bookings: $950,000 19

Tax Breakdown $255 Clear Direction & Service Excellence

$814 County

$64 Collaborative City

$355 Education

$35 Properous City

$42 A City That Grows $123 Green City

$385 City Building

Services for your taxes based on the average home: $691 Capital & Debt

Total tax bill: $4,246

$420 A City That Moves

$1,062 Safe City 20

Council Strategic Priorities: Percentage of Tax Bill*

25%

10%

$14,229,309 Supporting inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility in our community and recognizing the importance of a safe and secure community.

$5,155,150

Facilitating sustainable transportation options and create community connectivity.

1%

2%

Achieving the population target for Owen Sound as set out in the Grey County Growth Management Plan.

Maintaining and improving relationships through engagement.

$789,452

$674,161

9%

$4,830,181 Planning community amenities that create great places and spaces for community living.

Cultivating a vibrant and diverse arts, culture, and heritage environment throughout the city.

<1%

19%

Education:

8%

Capital & Debt:

16%

$1,234,063 Enhancing the City’s resiliency and capacity for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Supporting and promoting healthy lifestyles.

CORPORATE PRIORITIES CLEAR DIRECTION

Working toward a positive business environment and support initiatives that increase our competitive economic advantages.

City Operations:

57%

SERVICE EXCELLENCE

6%

$467,920

Total Tax Bill Distribution County:

3%

$3,566,566 Cultivating an environment to support a common understanding of where the organization is going in the future and ensuring a solid financial foundation and capacity for delivery.

Being a modern and efficient municipal government that makes citizens’ lives better every day. *

21 percentages are for illustrative purposes; for full budget details, see Appendix B

Council Strategic Priorities

Police, fire, by-law, animal control

Transit, winter maintenance, traffic and street lights

Geographic Information System, Engineering, Planning, Building inspections, Community Development

Parks and open spaces, cemetery, arenas, library, art gallery and facility rentals (revenue)

Grants, City Clerks department

Waste management, storm and drainage, water source protection, and solar revenue

River District Board of Management, Tourism, Special Events

CORPORATE PRIORITIES CLEAR DIRECTION

SERVICE EXCELLENCE

Governance and program support

22

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Public Input Participation Public input and feedback plays an important role in guiding City services and, in turn, the operating budget.

Public feedback is incorporated through: + Municipal Election + Surveys + Public Meetings + Corporate Website + Our City Owen Sound + Master Plans Development + Citizen Satisfaction Survey

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Building Partnerships: Truth and Reconciliation In January of 2022, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery presented Zoongide’ewin | Strong Heart by local emerging indigenous artist Brent Henry. The exhibition investigated the dark legacy of Canada’s Residential School system and the persistence of intergenerational trauma which resulted from this and other acts of colonial racism.

70%

of residents are satisfied with the services of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

2021 Citizen Satisfaction Survey

Indigenous Resource and Sharing Space at the TOM 24

Operating Budget Impacts Budget Category

Total Budget ($)

2022 Tax Levy

Tax Levy Variance

Budgetary Variance (%)

$32,598,965

Base Budget Commitments

$624,220

1.92%

Service Level Changes (Current Year)

($400,000)

-1.23%

Prior Year Decisions

($247,300)

-0.76%

-

-

Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund

($50,000)

-0.15%

Corrections

($92,001)

-0.28%

Growth Impact

Operating Increase

$71,386

Waste Management

$240,885 Write SubTitle Here

(165,081)

0.74%

Total Operating Increase

$75,804

0.23%

Capital

$319,000

0.98%

General Budgetary Increase

$394,804

Police Services

$166,700

0.51%

2.13%

Library Services

$29,000

0.09%

2.96%

$590,504

1.81%

1.81%

Total Budgetary Increase Total 2023 Tax Levy

y

C

0.36%

1.67%

$33,135,964

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Community Service Partners The City of Owen Sound works with a number of organizations to enhance the services offered to the community. We provide support through funding, facilities, sharing resources, and more.

YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce The YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce at the Julie McArthur Regional Recreation Centre builds strong kids, strong families. It provides opportunities for personal development in Health, Child Care, Community Programs, Housing Support and Employment Services.

Marine & Rail Museum Travel back in time to Owen Sound’s industrial past when the city was a thriving port. Housed in a former Canadian National Railway Station on the waterfront, the Museum’s artifacts, scale models, archival photos, and interactive stations bring to life the days of sail and steam. Discover the history and heritage of an era when Owen Sound was called “the Chicago of the North.”

River District Board of Management The Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area was formed by downtown merchants in 1973 and was renamed the River District Board of Management in 2021. The RDBOM is committed to developing a vibrant, visitor friendly downtown core to attract and retain business and grow a vibrant, safe and fun downtown.

Billy Bishop Museum The Billy Bishop Home & Museum is a National Historic Site of Canada that commemorates the life and achievements of World War I flying ace and Victoria Cross winner Air Marshall William Avery “Billy” Bishop, and Canada’s aviation history.

Festival of Northern Lights The Festival of Northern Lights is an award-winning annual display of Christmas lights throughout Harrison Park and the River District.

Approximately 25 KM of light strings and over 400 lit designs are hung each year.

27

Operational Highlights: Service Improvements & Continuations Late 2022 saw Owen Sound get hit with two severe winter storms; one midNovember, and one in late December.

Owen Sound has a unique topography, which makes it a beautiful place to live and play, but with approximately 282 lane kilometres of streets and 105 kilometres of sidewalks, winter weather can also cause havoc when it comes to winter control operations.

Although the winter storms at the end of 2022 provided a “one-two-punch” and caused significant road closures throughout Grey County, the Owen Sound winter maintenance team did not have to close any roads while operating a cost-effective “lean” winter fleet across three shifts that work 24/7.

OwenSound.ca/WinterControl

330.4 cm

amount of average snowfall in Owen Sound; the most in Ontario

Bell Fibre to Home Infrastructure The Bell Fibre to the Home project represents a huge investment in their fibre infrastructure within the City of Owen Sound. In order to facilitate this work, the City Water and Wastewater staff have been processing locate requests at approximately 400% of the normal yearly rate.

Sewage Pumping Station Improvements Two new sewage pumping stations were installed in 2022 (the Sydenham Crescent Pumping Station and the forcemain on East Bayshore Road).

2022 was the first calendar year where there were ZERO wet-weather related sewage bypass events!

Additionally, as this work has been done, City staff have incorporated the water and wastewater infrastructure service locations into the Cty’s Geographical Information System. This will greatly assist future operations.

The map pictured to the right shows the progress status as of the end of 2022.

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808 2nd Avenue East Owen Sound, ON N4K 2H4 P. 519-376-1440 E. kallan@owensound.ca www.owensound.ca

Appendix A:

Segmented Budget Sheet

By Service

Appendix B:

Operating Budget & Variance Detail Sheets