The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) 2024 budget is now the law.
The budget was approved by UCPR council on Wednesday, November 22 without any additional changes since a previous special council meeting held on November 8. The UCPR tax levy increase for 2024 remains at 4.25 per cent.
The total operating budget for 2024 is $180,304,300 and the UCPR will collect $59,039,400, which includes about $1,000,000 in revenue generated from assessment growth. The regional government collected $56,475,700, or $2,363,700 less in tax revenue in 2023.
The average value of a residential house in the UCPR is $281,906. A one per cent increase in the overall UCPR tax levy equals $555,000.
UCPR council had previously agreed to increase the budget for the Cultural Fund, mostly to benefit the three largest municipalities by population, Russell Township, Clarence-Rockland, and The Nation. Council also agreed to contribute a $43,000 grant to Regroupement Autisme Prescott-Russell to eliminate its deficit, $50,000 to the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH) Foundation, and to reduce the grant to the Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network (EOAN) by $5,000. Any additional amount of revenue from the 2024 levy increase will go toward reducing the impact of paying for the new Prescott and Russell Residence on future years’ tax levies.
Russell Township Mayor Pierre Leroux moved to receive the budget and the motion was seconded by Clarence-Rockland Mayor Mario Zanth. However, Zanth delivered words of caution before the budget was received. He is worried about what he considers to be an unsustainable way of funding certain things. Zanth is concerned about potential consequences of the UCPR funding not-for-profit organizations and making allocations to the Cultural Fund. Zanth did note though that at least the Cultural Fund goes directly to the municipalities. Zanth said he wants the UCPR to get back to focusing on the core responsibilities of its departments.
“I cannot see a way forward to continue donating to not-for-profit organizations,” he said.
Zanth said he supports the purposes of the organizations the UCPR has funded, but the provincial government and other community groups such as service clubs also have a role to play. He said the provincial and federal governments keep trying to pass their responsibilities to municipal governments.
“They just keep downloading and downloading,” Zanth said.
During the year ahead, Zanth plans to introduce resolutions at the UCPR level as an attempt to better focus how the UCPR allocates funds.
Warden Normand Riopel, who was presiding over his final council meeting as warden on November 22, said having the UCPR provide financial support to some of the larger community organizations takes pressure off the municipalities who also receive requests from them to provide financial support.
Zanth said he wants to encourage a conversation on refocusing how money is spent.
The bylaw to adopt the 2024 UCPR budget was approved unanimously. Alfred and Plantagenet Mayor Yves Laviolette was absent from the meeting.
