Comments to Central Elgin council from ratepayers association

December 3, 2009

The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors
The Corporation of the Municipality of Central Elgin
450 Sunset Drive
St. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1

2010 Municipal Budget

Ladies & Gentleman:

It’s a very harsh economic environment, especially for the many who have or are about to lose their jobs and for those who must live off retirement funds that have taken a severe blow in the investment markets.

The excuse of provincial downloading seems to be back. The potential loss of $500,000 from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) may be real but it’s a red herring. All municipalities will be effected by this chop of funds. It doesn’t change the fact that Central Elgin is one of the most highly taxed municipalities in Ontario. The Municipality of Central Elgin and the County of Elgin have historically done a poor job of keeping tax increases near inflation. Only a roll back of the municipal and county tax levy and costs over the next five years will placate voters in Central Elgin. Our membership and the public are becoming more vocal about this issue.

Central Elgin Ratepayers Assoc. address to C.E. council July 20/09

Central Elgin Ratepayers Association, CERA, was formed primarily to influence the Council of the Municipality of Central Elgin to do the right thing when it comes to the local property tax burden.

Officially incorporated on May 15, 2009, in just two months CERA now has over 240 members. A recent survey of our members indicated that the Harbour negotiations with Transport Canada was our members’ second priority, after high taxes. Thank goodness, Dan McNeil saw fit to uncover many of the shenanigans in this protracted duel between Transport Canada and Central Elgin Council.

The community is in Harbour negotiation burnout. Only 70 citizens of a population of 12,500 showed up for the re-launched edition Harbour Community Workshop! It’s a sad, misleading commentary when media releases from the municipality and the consultants extol the great turnout at the first session. How can a $100,000 grant from Transport Canada, that’s trying to dump the Harbour on Central Elgin, not positively influence their agenda?

CERA president blasts Central Elgin council for out of control spending

Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, June 08, 2009 – At the Central Elgin Council Meeting tonight, Bruce Lemon, President of Central Elgin Ratepayers Association (CERA) blasted the Municipal Council for out of control spending, lack of transparency and one of the highest lower-tier property tax rates in Ontario.

“Reasons for incorporating the villages of Belmont, Port Stanley & the Township of Yarmouth into the Municipality of Central Elgin were to maximize operating efficiencies as well as minimize duplication with the goal of reducing costs. The results to date have been a total failure with property taxes having at least doubled, water rates have at least tripled and staffing levels have increased dramatically while the municipality has only realized a very small population growth rate.” , said Bruce Lemon.

New Association to Monitor Municipal and County Government

Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario, May 12, 2009 – Dismayed by a lack of transparency from municipal government, ineffectiveness in controlling costs at the municipal and county levels, and the risks of assuming the Port Stanley Harbour, a group of local citizens has formed the Central Elgin Ratepayers Association.

“The Municipality of Central Elgin has one of the highest property tax rates and water charges in Ontario” said Bruce Lemon, President. “To continually base new annual budgets on budgets from prior years rather than actual expenditures is a formula for excessive taxation.”

“We’re particularly concerned about plans to acquire the Port Stanley Harbour” Helen Garton, Vice President of the Association advised. “The acquisition will result in excessive taxes to the community if a proper long-term business plan isn’t finalized before acquisition.”

Natives urge Port Stanley harbour cleanup

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Aboriginal voices have joined the call for the federal government to dredge and remove contamination from the harbour at Port Stanley.

The Walpole Island First Nation is even willing to do the work and bury contaminated soil at a secure site on its land along Lake St. Clair, a representative said.

The Walpole Island First Nation claims the harbour and western Lake Erie as its own.

Members of Walpole Island have been watching as Transport Canada and Central Elgin continue talks that may see the harbour turned over to the local municipality. The First Nation has adopted a wait-and-see attitude as talks continue and its land claim lawsuit sits in the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario.

“We are very concerned about our harbour and we want to make sure the contamination is dealt with and there is dredging,” said former chief Dean Jacobs.
Full story

St. Thomas shut out of infrastructure funds

Posted by Ian:
Two levels of government dole out millions in infrastructure funding on Friday and St. Thomas is shut out. So is Central Elgin which was looking for an investment in Port Stanley harbour. Plenty of money to lavish on the rest of Elgin. What happened in St. Thomas? Is it our elected leadership or lack of a CAO to properly administer the corporation or perhaps no concrete business plan for the future? Any money coming to St. Thomas was slated for a new police HQ.
Details of the announcement follow.
Infrastructure funding

MP Joe Preston facing big challenge with harbour

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Posted by Ian:
Harbour divestiture talks between the Feds and Central Elgin have long been clouded in secrecy … now we know why. Water quality. To be specific, the potential risk to the water supply of an entire region due to a blob of coal tar sludge up stream from the harbour in Kettle Creek. To be fair, existence of the chemical mess has been known for decades, it is slow moving and despite some media warnings it is a long way from the inlet for the water supply system that supplies Elgin and south London. Nevertheless, Port Stanley harbour, which very much can return to its former glory as a viable Great Lakes harbour. has been shamefully ignored by higher levels of government. This has hampered prospects of a proposed U.S. – Port Stanley ferry – an issue in itself that has split the lakeside community. It’s a challenge for M.P. Joe Preston, who has taken up the cause.
Background story

St. Thomas soccer program in jeopardy

The construction of the support building at Cowan Park has started. St. Thomas Soccer Club, the main tenant, who pays user fees, now called rentals, was not part of the planning although the construction will have an impact of one of the fields!
In comparison, the club is still waiting for the construction of the shelters for the player benches at the Athletic Park. The club paid $ 20,000 in June 2007 and $ 10,000 in April 2008 for various renovations and improvements at both parks. The installation of the shelters was planned for 2007, now it is the end of 2008 and they are still not installed!