On September 25th, 2024, the Town of St. Andrews held a special council meeting at the W.C. O'Neill Arena Complex Council Chambers to review the initial draft of the 2025 budget.

Vicki Hogarth – Local Journalism Initiative

Chief Administrative Officer Chris Spear presented the draft, highlighting a preliminary 3% increase in most expense items to account for rising inflation. "In general, at this very early stage, I just raised the warrant and most expense items by 3%," Spear explained, noting that this figure could be adjusted as new information becomes available.

A significant challenge raised during the meeting was the uncertainty surrounding property tax assessments due to the upcoming provincial election. Council members expressed concern that these assessments, crucial for budget planning, would not be released until after the election. "Because of the provincial election, they're probably not going to release a bunch of this information until after that," Spear added.

Council also delved into departmental budgets, starting with General Administration, which saw a 4% increase. This rise was attributed to various factors, including computer maintenance and professional development costs. Spear emphasized the need for infrastructure improvements, particularly at the town hall. "We did buy a generator a few months ago and it works, but we really need to create the proper connection to it," he said, referencing the need for a new electrical panel to ensure power during outages.

Economic development also took centre stage, as council debated reallocating funds from the tourism accommodation levy to support new initiatives aimed at stimulating the local economy.

Public works drew considerable attention, with recommendations for increased investment in sidewalk repairs, asphalt, and equipment rentals. "For sidewalk repairs, we'd like a $7,500 increase due to deteriorating curbs," Spear noted. The possible addition of a full-time public works position generated debate, with Councillor Mark Bennett raising concerns about the town's growing staffing levels. "At what point does this town stop growing and just learn to deal with what we have?" Bennett asked.

Recreation and cultural services were discussed briefly, with a 3% inflationary increase applied across the board. The future of the provincial courthouse grant, set to expire next year, was also raised, with Spear warning that the loss of the grant would create a $30,000 revenue shortfall.

As the meeting progressed, Spear indicated that the next steps would involve a deeper dive into the capital budget, along with awaiting key provincial data. "Really, theoretically by New Year's, we get it in December," he said, acknowledging the tight timeline for finalizing the budget.

The meeting concluded with a brief closed session to address contractual and financial matters.