The Paris Independent
5
February 10, 2024
COMMUNITY NEWS Budget Meeting February 1, 2024: Council Debates Spending on New Positions Secretary. The council voted in favor of including this package in the 2024 budget, with a recorded vote of 7-3. The councillors who supported the package were Bailey, Kyle, Oakley, Howes, Bell, Miller, and Garneau, while MacAlpine, Chambers, and Coleman opposed it. Councillor Pierce was absent during the vote.
By Chris Whelan In a recent budget meeting held on February 1, 2024, the council gathered to review and evaluate various proposals and decisions regarding the 2024 budget. It was emphasized that all matters discussed and voted on during this meeting would be revisited and ratified at the final meeting scheduled for February 27th. The fifth item on the agenda was a budget update presented by Heather Boyd. She outlined the progress made thus far, stating, "We have heard all of our initial presentations and are now at the point of evaluating and reviewing the budget before moving forward with decisions." One of the decision packages presented was for the creation of a council assistant position, set to commence on July 1st. The estimated cost for the first year was projected at $41,000, which would double to $82,000 in the subsequent year. The council assistant role would involve providing support to council members, including tasks such as scheduling, conference registration, correspondence, and administrative support. The position would act as a liaison between councillors, residents,
and staff, ensuring effective and timely communication. Additionally, the assistant would work closely with the Executive Assistant to the Mayor & Council Services, providing backup during special events and assisting with the coordination of various initiatives. The position would also offer administrative support for future municipal and school board elections, as well as purchasing and vital statistics support for the Council Services Division. However, several councillors expressed their opposition to the addition of this position, citing concerns about the already significant increase in the budget. Councillor Robert Chambers stated, "I speak in opposition to this expenditure. With a 10% increase, it is not required or needed at this time. That's not to say it won't be necessary in the future, but I cannot support the package now." As a result, the majority of councillors voted against the proposal, leading to its failure.
Package #3, which proposed the addition of a Disability Claims Specialist, faced a similar fate as the assistant to council position. Councillors expressed concerns about the high budget and the inability to justify hiring for this position at the present time. Consequently, the package was defeated. In addition to these decisions, several other new positions suggested by County of Brant Staff were not approved by the council. The council believed that these positions would further inflate an already burdensome budget. Various charities also requested funding, including St. Joseph's Life Care, Sacred Heart Church, and Adelaide Hunter Hoodless, but due to the budget constraints, their requests were denied. Stedman Community Hospice requested $100,000, and a motion was made to allocate half of the amount, the council voted in favor of providing $50,000, subject to ratification on February 27th. The final results of the 2024 budget will be thoroughly examined at that time.
For those interested in reviewing the entire 5.5-hour meeting, it is available Another decision package under for viewing on YouTube at the consideration was for Recorded following link: COUNCIL BUDGET Voting Software & Committee MEETING
