County Council Approves 2022 Budget for the County of Renfrew

COUNTY OF RENFREW: The County of Renfrew has approved its budget for 2022. County Council approved the budget during the annual budget workshop held on Monday January 17th, 2022, led by County of Renfrew Warden Debbie Robinson, and Councillor Jennifer Murphy, Chair of the County’s Finance & Administration Committee. Warden Robinson and Chair Murphy each commended elected officials and county staff for the delivery of the budget, as well as for meeting all of the targets set by County Council for 2022.

The County of Renfrew continues to adopt the principles outlined in the long-term financial plan, ensuring that the County remains focused on today and the future. With the budget for 2022 approved, the County of Renfrew will continue to operate and deliver all of its existing programs and services, as well as fund the $296 million asset renewal program over the next 10-year planning period.

At the September 2021 session of County Council, elected officials clearly communicated how they would like the first draft of the budget prepared in order to minimize the financial impact on Renfrew County residents to the CAO and staff. Council has passed a budget that will include investments in projects for social housing, long-term care, more efficient service delivery at the County administration building, as well as rehabilitation and construction of major infrastructure, including roads, bridges and culverts, throughout the municipality.

The 2022 approved levy, adjusted for growth, equates to a residential property tax impact of $6.56 increase per $100,000 value of a home. The median residential property value in Renfrew County currently sits around $203,000, meaning that a typical homeowner would see an impact of $13.32 for 2022. With a very modest tax rate increase of 1.7%, the County of Renfrew can continue to deliver high quality services to our community such as two long-term care homes, paramedic services, and community services.

“On behalf of County Council, I would like to sincerely thank our standing committee members for all of their hard work and dedication as they reviewed the draft budgets over the last several weeks”, stated Warden Robinson, “Reviewing budgets can be a daunting task at the best of times, but given the added pressure on residents and local businesses due to the ongoing pandemic, these decisions are more complicated than ever. I am proud to work alongside both County Council and County of Renfrew staff who are focused on ensuring that we continue to focus on affordability for our residents and provide quality services to our community.”

“I am pleased to report that CAO Paul Moreau and his staff have once again delivered a consolidated budget for 2022 that meets our targets”, says Chair Murphy, “I must commend the County of Renfrew elected and staff on their efforts to find savings within their respective areas of the budget. We have a very effective and efficient budget process that allows Council to debate, review and approve a budget that provides clear direction to our staff, allowing them to do their jobs and deliver services to our residents in a timely manner.”

A recommendation for the 2022 budget was officially adopted as a by-law immediately following the budget presentation on Monday.

Additional Information for Consideration:
With only a modest 1.7% increase to the tax rate, County Council was able to ensure that quality services provided by the County of Renfrew continue to be available for Renfrew County residents, including:

• Increased service delivery efficiency through consolidating services at the County Administration Building in Pembroke
• Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic impact mitigation efforts
• Continued investment in capital asset renewal in 2022 ($32 million)
• Investments in active transportation via major upgrades to the Algonquin Trail
• Ongoing support to Renfrew County residents through the Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC)
• Continued operation of a Community Paramedic Program to support seniors awaiting placement in long-term care facilities
• Investing in many community services initiatives, including increased capacity for affordable housing in Renfrew County

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:
Paul Moreau Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk, County of Renfrew 613-735-7288
Jeff Foss Treasurer, County of Renfrew 613-735-7288