County of Renfrew Approves 2021 Budget

Pembroke: On Monday February 1st County of Renfrew Warden Debbie Robinson, and Councillor Jennifer Murphy, Chair of the County’s Finance & Administration Committee, led the annual County of Renfrew Budget Workshop. The Warden and Chair commended Elected Officials and County staff on the delivery of the 2021 budget which meets all of the targets set by Council for 2021. At Monday’s meeting County Council approved the 2021 Annual Budget.

The principles adopted in the Long-term Financial Plan continue to guide the annual budget discussions, ensuring that the County of Renfrew remains focused on today and on the future. In doing so, the County of Renfrew will have the resources necessary to operate all of its programs and services as well as fund the $281 million asset renewal program over the next 10-year planning horizon.

At the September 2020 session, County Council gave clear direction to the CAO and staff on how they would like the first draft of the budget prepared in order to minimize the financial impact on Renfrew County residents. 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 roads, bridges and culverts.

The 2021 approved levy, adjusted for growth, equates to a residential property tax impact of $9.07 increase per $100,000 value of their home. Given the median residential property value of $203,000 in Renfrew County, a typical homeowner would see an impact of $18.41 for 2021. That means that for a very modest tax rate increase of 2.5%, the County of Renfrew can continue to deliver high quality services to our community such as two Long-Term Care Homes, Paramedic Services, and Social Services.

Warden of the County of Renfrew Debbie Robinson shared this comment on the budget workshop, “I wish to express my appreciation to all the Standing Committee members for your hard work in reviewing the draft budgets during the past few weeks. County Council and staff are focused on quality assurance, efficiency, and transparency; with affordability being the primary focus in the budget decision process. Council along with staff worked in an engaged and efficient manner to ensure that the County of Renfrew continues to provide quality services to our community in a time of extra-ordinary pressures on our residents and local business sector from the continuing pandemic. On behalf of County Council, I wish to express a sincere “Thank you” to all staff involved in preparing this draft budget.”

Councillor Jennifer Murphy, Chair of the Finance & Administration Committee, commended County of Renfrew elected and staff on their efforts to find savings within their respective areas of the budget. Chair Murphy had this comment: “I am pleased to report that CAO Paul Moreau and his staff have delivered a 2021 Consolidated Budget that meets the targets as directed by Council in September 2020. I believe that we have a very effective and efficient budget process that allows Council to debate, review and finally approve a budget that provides clear direction to our staff on delivering services to our residents in an efficient and effective manner.”

A recommendation for the 2021 budget was officially adopted as a By-law immediately following the budget presentation on Monday.

Additional Information for Consideration

With only a modest 2.5% increase to the tax rate, County Council was able to ensure that quality services provided by the County of Renfrew continue to be there for Renfrew County residents. Some of the highlights included:

• Increased efficiency of service delivery by consolidating services at the County Administration Building in Pembroke
• Ongoing COVID19 Pandemic impact mitigation efforts
• Funding for the Ontario Winter Games to be held in Renfrew County in 2022
• Continued investment in capital asset renewal in 2021 - $27.6 million
• Investments in Active Transportation via major upgrades to the Algonquin Trail
• Launch of a ride sharing initiative for seniors
• Ongoing support to Renfrew County residents through the Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RCVTAC)
• Implementation of a new Community Paramedic Program to support seniors waiting for placement in a Long Term Care Facility
• A commitment for a comprehensive mental health strategy to support Paramedics and their families
• Investing in Community Services initiatives

The County of Renfrew is an Upper Tier Municipality providing a wide range of services to the 17 Lower-tier Municipalities that make up the largest geographic area of any municipality in Ontario.

For Media Inquiries please call:
Jeff Foss Treasurer, County of Renfrew 613 735-7288
Michael Barber Media Relations/Grants Coordinator, County of Renfrew 613-735-7288