HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council Minutes - June 27 2023 CAPE BRETON REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY
Special Council Meeting Minutes
Tuesday,
June 27, 2023
11:35 a.m.
Council Chambers
2nd Floor, City Hall
320 Esplanade, Sydney, NS
Mayor Amanda M. McDougall-Merrill called the meeting to order.
Council: Mayor Amanda M. McDougall-Merrill
Councillor Gordon MacDonald
Councillor Earlene MacMullin
Councillor Cyril MacDonald
Councillor Steve Gillespie
Councillor Eldon MacDonald
Councillor Glenn Paruch
Councillor Steve Parsons
Deputy Mayor James Edwards
Councillor Ken Tracey
Councillor Darren Bruckschwaiger
Councillor Darren O'Quinn
Councillor Lorne Green
Staff. Marie Walsh, Chief Administrative Officer
John MacKinnon, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Jennifer Campbell, Chief Financial Officer
Deborah Campbell Ryan, Municipal Clerk
Demetri Kachafanas, KC, Regional Solicitor
Wayne MacDonald, Director of Engineering and Public Works
Deanna Evely, Director of Human Resources
Kirk Durning, Director of Parks and Grounds, Buildings and Facilities
Kelly McDonald, Clerk's Department
Sharon MacSween, Recording Secretary
Absent: N/A
Special Council Meeting- Minutes
June 27, 2023 Approved December 10, 2024 2 of 5
Summary of Decisions
Land Acknowledgement
Roll Call
1. Approval of the Agenda:
Motion to approve the June 27, 2023, Special Council Agenda as circulated. Carried.
2. Budget Deliberations (continued): 2023-24 Operating Fund:
Point of Order
A Point of Order was raised to relax the speaking rules and Council agreed.
Motion to cut$1 million from the Police Operational Budget. Motion Defeated.
Motion to approve the Operating Budget for 2023-24 of $173,995,545 including the
following tax rate adjustments:
• Minimum tax levy increase to $575
• Hydrant rate $.1836/$100 ($.02 reduction)
• Transit rate $.125/$100
• Base rate 3.5% increase
• Transfer from operating reserve $418,000
Point of Order
A Point of Order was raised that discussion is only to be on the Motion on the floor. The
Mayor ruled the discussion in order.
Motion Carried.
ADJOURNMENT
Special Council Meeting- Minutes
June 27, 2023 Approved December 10, 2024 3 of 5
Land Acknowledgement
Roll Call
1. Approval of the Agenda:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Green, seconded by Councillor O'Quinn, to approve the June 27,
2023 Special Council Agenda as presented.
Motion Carried.
2. Budget Deliberations (continued) 2023-24 Operating Fund:
CFO Campbell spoke to this issue and provided a recap of earlier budget deliberations. She
advised that the initial draft operating budget resulted in an unfunded deficit of $7.7
million. Various departmental budgets and adjustments reduced this deficit to$4.2 million.
The balancing options at that time were increasing tax rates, right sizing the transit rate to
fund service through the area rate, alternative funding sources, certain non-mandated
discretionary services could be suspended, defer additional staffing requests, adjustments
were made to estimates based on updated information and staff investigated potential
further departmental budget cuts. Council's approved adjustments total $1,921,875.
Leaving a revised budget shortfall of$2,303,670.
CFO Campbell advised that various options to balance the remaining shortfall were
presented and discussed.
CFO Campbell advised that unless there are other suggestions on how to balance, we are
left to revisit the options previously rejected by council throughout deliberations including
reconsidering non-mandated services and tax rates to bridge the budget shortfall. She
provided the following information:
Given the $.02 cent reduction in hydrant rate already built into the draft budget, the
net difference would be approx. 1 - 1.5cents or 2-2.35%
• $ 501,327 - $.01/$100 rate adjustment—Residential/Resource property
• $ 66,866 - $.01/$100 rate adjustment—Commercial property
• 1% change in rate = 1.51 cents and adjusts revenue by an estimated $856,000
(including grants in lieu)
• $.01 = 1.16% of base residential rate
• .01 = .25% of base commercial rate
• Last year's tax cut was a residential rate reduction of 4.55 cents
• Every .25% generates $214K in additional revenue
Continued...
Special Council Meeting- Minutes
June 27, 2023 Approved December 10, 2024 4 of 5
Budget Deliberations (continued) 2023-24 Operating Fund(Continued):
Following the presentation by CFO Campbell, Council discussion took place.
A Point of Order was raised by Councillor Gillespie to relax the speaking rules and
Council agreed.
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Paruch, seconded by Councillor Parsons, to cut$1 million from the
Police Operational Budget.
Discussion:
During discussion, the intent of the motion was clarified and the Chief Financial Officer
indicated that to take $1 million from police overtime to apply to shortfall would not be
typical as overtime is for staffing regular patrols.
Motion Defeated.
At 12:39 p.m. Council recessed.
Council reconvened at 1:18 p.m.
The following was then put forward:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Bruckschwaiger, seconded by Councillor Tracey, to approve the
Operating Budget for 2023-24 of $173,995,545 including the following tax rate
adjustments:
• Minimum tax levy increase to $575
• Hydrant rate $.1836/$100 ($.02 reduction)
• Transit rate $.125/$100
• Base rate 3.5% increase
• Transfer from operating reserve $418,000
Discussion:
During discussion, the following was discussed:
• Services
• Overtime management
• CBRM has the highest property tax rate in the Province
Point of Order
Councillor Green raised a Point of Order that discussion is to only be on the Motion on the
floor. The Mayor ruled the discussion in order.
Discussion continued.-
Monthly
ontinued:Monthly overtime reports to Council
• Previous directives by Council on the balancing options
Motion Carried.
Continued...
Special Council Meeting- Minutes
June 27, 2023 Approved December 10, 2024 5 of 5
Budget Deliberations (continued) 2023-24 Operating Fund(Continued):
At this point in the meeting, Councillor Gillespie suggested that Council begin discussion
on the 2024-25 budget before January.
Mayor McDougall-Merrill expressed gratitude to Council and staff on for their time and
efforts with the budget process and the Chief Administrative Officer expressed her thanks
to Council.
Meeting adiourned at 1:46 p.m.
Cecil P. Clarke
Mayor
Christa Dicks
Municipal Clerk
/slm