The final night of public deputations led to one councillor being ruled out of order.
Council received feedback on the budget Thursday, but it was the first one from Henry Wojack that gave way to chair Mark Bentz putting his foot down with fellow At Large Councillor Aldo Ruberto.
Wojack’s presentation focused on a few topics, which included reducing the municipal tax levy increase by 0.65%. He also wanted to discuss the Police Services Board which gave way to Aldo Ruberto to asking whether Wojack had done research on the number of incidents that local police deal with as compared to municipalities of a similar size.
When Wojack said the numbers of incidents are going up for every jurisdiction, Ruberto countered that Thunder Bay officers attend nearly 5,000 thousand incidents which, in his mind, nearly equals the amount that Toronto officers attended.
Bentz intervened again, stressing that the session was meant for questions and answers and not debate.
“I’m going to have to ask you to stop debating and editorializing [Henry Wojacks] deputation. He’s come here with information, you can ask questions, please!” exclaimed Bentz.
However, the exchange trickled on a bit further, leading to Chair Bentz looking visibly frustrated, and calling Ruberto out of order.
But that wasn’t the end, as Councillor Peng You soon after continued on the same path, instead of only asking questions as requested many times by Bentz. The Chair eventually addressed the entire group, reminding them of proceedure.
Fellow At Large councillor Trevor Giertuga called the exchange unacceptable.
“I’d like to ask council to show some decorum and if the chair makes a ruling please either challenge that ruling or be quiet!”
The other deputations included a written letter from Sharon Sidlar, the Chair of the Friends of the Thunder Bay Conservatory. Paul Berger and Tracey McKinnon from Poverty Free Thunder Bay also spoke to council to try and continue the dialogue on planning fare-free transit.
Council is set to ratify the budget Monday night.
Budget Figures
- The levy for the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board is $167,800 lower than expected
- Council reduced the hit to the stabilization reserve fund by $1,534,200 to fund the $8.7 million COVID impact (that includes recognizing $1.24 million in 2021 Safe Restart funding)
- Insurance costs are $234,400 less than estimated
- $138,400 increase for Canada Penson Plan/Employment Insurance costs
- $149,400 in reduced debenture interest, MPAC levy, Community Youth & Culture Funding Program ongoing
- $30,000 removed for Victoriaville budget for duct cleaning
- $15,000 addition to each organization: Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy, Poverty Reduction Strategy and Age Friendly Thunder Bay
- $30,000 reduction in Victoria Avenue BIA contribution
- $67,900 removal of proposed transit fee increases
- $207,100 in tax supported electricity savings
- $150,000 removed for an Environmental Assessment for the Northwest Arterial
- $50,000 addition towards new landing docks for the Lakehead Canoe Club at Boulevard Lake
- $9,000 annually to the Infrastructure and Operations Roads Budget for the purpose of increasing the calcium spraying for gravel roads
- $100,000 removed from the Municipal Accommodation Tax reserve fund towards the Thunder Bay Sign project, which has no impact on the tax levy
Reducing The Hit On the Stabilization Reserve Fund
$1.5 million to fund the $8.7 million COVID impact
- Removing property acquisition for Northwest Arterial for $50,000
- Removing one pedestrian crossover for $75,000
- Adding Community Youth and Culture funding program COVID-19 relief for $83,800
- Removing CEDC COVID-19 related meeting costs for $12,000
- Reducing Library budget for $50,000
- Deferring re-opening of cashier counter service for 2021 for $41,000
- Deferring generator replacement at Fire Station #3 for $150,000
- Adding $1.24 million in Federal-Provincial Safe Restart operating funding for 2021
