THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF TIMMINS

Transcription

1 THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF TIMMINS Committee of the Whole Agenda - BUDGET Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. Council Chambers City Hall 220 Algonquin Blvd. East, Timmins, Ontario Page COUNCIL: Mayor Steve Black Councillor P. Bamford Councillor J. Campbell Councillor M. Doody Councillor R. Dubeau Councillor A. Grzela Councillor A. Marks Councillor N. Rinaldo Councillor W. Wawrzaszek 1. DECLARATION OF PECUNIARY INTEREST 2. PRESENTATIONS a) TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation b) Chamber of Commerce Presentation c) Presentations from the Public 3. ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 17

2 PFPPP, TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 2 of 17 W Your Vision, Our Expertise, Successful Results. TEDC Budget meow 2016 Corporation du d6veloppement 6conomique de Timmins

3 r TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 3 of 17 Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins TEDC Services Assist businesses and non profits with startup, expansion (capital for projects) Attract new industry Timmins and services to Work on projects to stimulate the economy and focus on business and community diversification efforts Your Our - Results.

4 TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 4 of 17 CISM e Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins Staffin g Complement TEDC has 8 full -time staff TEDC currently has 4 contract staff members Your Vision, Our. - Results.

5 TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 5 of 17 Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins Sample Project A Business Enterprise Centre Start- Up and Expansion Assistance A Business Development, Retention & Growth Mining Supply Investment Attraction Program Mining Supply Export Assistance Program Community Development Agriculture Development Film, Television, Commercials CISCO e Your Our - Results. 0

6 r TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 6 of 17 Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins Successes To Date Client Consultations (end of Sept) Money Cisco a TV uk[ I v Leveraged for clients and projects : 2015 $2. 9 million Timmins & Region to Date 2014 $3. 8 million Timmins & Region Your Our - - Successful Results.

7 TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 7 of 17 Corporation du d6veloppement 6conomique de Timmins Successes To Date Budget/Ratio Jobs and Money City City Money Budget 2015: $950, 700 Budget 2014: $937, 850 Leveraged to Date: To Date 2015 $2, 930, times return on budget 2014 $3, 814, times return on budget Your Vision, Our Expertise, Successful Results.

8 TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 8 of 17 Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins Departmental Challenges Making sure residents and business owners understand what we do and how we can help them Workload - projects, committees, clients, inquiries Project Timeframes Due to their complexity and the economic conditions, large projects take multiple years to materialize Speed expected by industry M r Ctsco Your Our - Results.

9 r TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 9 of 17 Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins Issues TEDC has reserves but a plan is in place to use those reserves as seed money to leverage government funding for projects that improve the economic climate in Timmins. In 2016 we are investing $ 107, 000 of our reserves to support projects like PIC, Mining Supply, Agricultural Crop Trials In 2015 we will use approximately $ 85, 000 of reserves on projects 3; 0-1 Your Our - Results.

10 J TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 10 of 17 Cisco e Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins Budget Request , 895 increase in 2016 Required to meet salary & benefit step increases Other line items have remained static or decreased in the majority of cases Your. Our. - Results.

11 TEDC 2016 Budget Presentation Page 11 of 17 Cisco 4 Corporation du developpement economique de Timmins Hiring Consideration Business Development Specialist Year one paid by TEDC reserves A Year two 50% by budget increase and 50% paid by TEDC reserves Year three 100% paid by budget increase Performance reviewed after second year Your Our - Results.

12 Agenda Item # 2b) Presentation: Member Priorities for the 2016 Municipal Budget November 3, 2015 Chamber of Commerce Presentation Page 12 of 17

13 Agenda Item # 2b) Presentation: Good evening. My name is Kurt Bigeau, and I am the president of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce. With me here tonight is Chris Bender, first vice-president of the Chamber and the chair of our Municipal Affairs Committee. Every year, the Timmins Chamber is pleased to offer City Council the views of our 750 business members as part of your budget deliberations. Indeed, we are thankful for the consideration you ve given to implementing some of our previous recommendations throughout your first year as Council, and we hope to continue to collaboratively advance some of this year s items. Our presentation this evening highlights the fact that, in reaching out to our members, we heard time and again of the need for the City to continue to plan strategically for the future while being mindful of the business community s current needs. This approach is at the heart of our recommendations this evening, and it s in this spirit that we offer constructive suggestions as you face the difficult task of establishing priorities for the 2016 budget. Core Services Review When discussing the City s economic future, the recently completed core services review seems a natural place to start. The Chamber has requested this review for some time, and we have been extremely pleased to see Council fully commit to it this year. The Chamber s Municipal Affairs Committee and Board will analyze the report in the coming weeks to determine what specific recommendations would stand as priorities for the business community. However, at a glance, the report s broader themes appear to reflect what the Timmins Chamber has long urged in previous Council presentations. This includes a tighter control on spending, guarding against inefficient use of public funds, developing various internal efficiencies, and avoiding duplication of efforts by City staff. These are important, supportable measures that would surely help to improve the City s bottom line while protecting the taxpayer. 1 Chamber of Commerce Presentation Page 13 of 17

14 Agenda Item # 2b) That said, we would also strongly urge Council to look beyond the purely administrative measures when approaching this report. There are very clear options to prioritize municipal services, and while the Chamber has yet to explore them in detail, they represent a crucial opportunity to provide better value for taxpayer dollars. Whether this translates to service reductions or private-sector partnerships, Council must carefully consider how City funds are most efficiently spent. In short, if it can t provide real value for taxpayer dollars, Council must consider reducing or outsourcing that service. Now is the time for Council to begin to prioritize spending on services that make responsible fiscal sense, and to ensure that the City s limited resources are spent as wisely as possible. For these reasons and more, we hope you can appreciate the need to ensure that real action is taken with this document, and that it does not end up on a shelf. To that end, we urge you to quickly develop a detailed plan for discussing and implementing the suggestions in the report, and ensure that plan is clearly communicated to the public. In the meantime, we expect this report will have an immediate impact on your budget deliberations, given the sheer number of specific items in the report relating to some very timely budget decisions. Timmins 2020 In keeping with that theme, we would also urge you once again to revisit those Timmins 2020 Strategic Plan reports that have yet to see any substantive discussion by Council. There are several such reports, including the Housing Report as well as the Tourism, Culture and Recreation Report, which were submitted to council in 2014 but were discussed either briefly or not at all. Whether you decide to implement any or none of their recommendations, they are worth real debate, given the money and energy invested by the City, the taxpayers, and countless community partners. Similarly, we fully appreciate that the City has only recently taken over duties for implementation of the plan. There will of course be an understandable transition period as staff looks to continue the momentum as initially provided by Clearlogic Consulting. 2 Chamber of Commerce Presentation Page 14 of 17

15 Agenda Item # 2b) That said, we hope that the direction taken by the City on advancing the many remaining components of the plan will be done with an eye on what the municipality can afford, and what projects make sense to continue to pursue. The core services review may provide some guidance on this front. Kidd Mine transition readiness Another element to keep in mind is the impact on the local workforce and the loss of assessment revenue from the impending closure of Kidd Operations. This move will have a significant effect on Timmins tax base, and careful strategic planning will be required to prepare for this shift. As it will impact the entire community, the City would do well to develop further strategies to address this shift, and to begin to prepare accordingly. This includes engaging in creative approaches such as the proposed Glencore Impact Fund, which would use new growth assessment funding to help ease the effect that the transition will have on tax levels in the community. Proactive efforts like these are important in preparing for this eventuality. Strategic Investments, infrastructure When examining Timmins economic future, it s equally crucial to examine the need for strategic investments in municipal infrastructure. It s certainly no surprise that our members feel that adequately maintained roads, sewer and water infrastructure are crucial to attracting and retaining business in Timmins. It s also no surprise to note that, like many municipalities across Canada, Timmins continues to face many challenges on this front. Given the provincial Connecting Link funding deficit, we also recognize the challenges you face in addressing these issues. As always, we support your efforts to urge the province for solutions to this shortfall. However, we also note with concern the ongoing undercurrent of discussion and impending reports regarding the institution of tolls for heavy truck traffic on Algonquin 3 Chamber of Commerce Presentation Page 15 of 17

16 Agenda Item # 2b) Boulevard. While the Chamber supports municipal efforts to seek appropriate funding from appropriate levels of government, industry already pays its toll in the form of taxes. Should this process continue to move forward, we would very strongly insist that Timmins business community be involved in the conversation at the very outset, given the significant impact this could have on all sectors, and not just heavy industry. Tax Ratios It s also important to keep that reality in mind when considering tax ratios. KPMG has provided a perspective on the local tax base in some of its recent presentations, including the fact that over the last five years, Timmins overall assessments have increased largely within the residential sector, while industrial assessment has decreased as a result of the closure of the Kidd Met site. This does not mean business isn t paying its fair share; rather, it is an indication that there are simply fewer businesses to shoulder the load. These businesses serve as the backbone of the economy, providing not only jobs and property taxes but also support for sports teams and non-profit organizations. They are tied closely to Timmins appeal as a great place to work, live and play, and we caution against further shifts in the tax burden. Closing Remarks As we finish presenting our members recommended priorities for the 2016 municipal budget, the Timmins Chamber of Commerce would like to applaud City staff and Council for your dedication to working with the business community. We continue to be pleased to note the enthusiasm with which you ve embraced the spirit of the Chamber s September 2014 Business Climate Improvement: Municipal Procurement Report, and your continuous efforts to make it easier for competitive local firms to participate in the process. We at the Chamber hope to continue this strong, collaborative approach in the coming year as we look to revisit progress made on other reports we ve presented to Council in previous years on such topics as development services and the Victor M. Power Airport. 4 Chamber of Commerce Presentation Page 16 of 17

17 Agenda Item # 2b) On behalf of our members, our Board and our staff, we at the Chamber thank you for the opportunity to address you today, and look forward to working with you in the coming year. Thank you. 5 Chamber of Commerce Presentation Page 17 of 17