(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)
CORNWALL – After three days of deliberations with a marathon last meeting, Cornwall city council has passed the 2021 budget with a 2.83 per cent tax increase.
The final vote was 7-4 just before midnight Thursday for a meeting that started at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Those opposed to the budget said there wasn’t enough focus on looking at the $179 million operating budget and making cuts there. Most of the budget meetings focused on the $37 million in capital projects.
While supporting the capital budget, Coun. Eric Bergeron said he couldn’t vote for the budget as a whole based on the operations side. “For me, I just fundamentally don’t think we’ve done enough work on the operating side of this budget. It represents 95 times more tax base funding than capital budget.”
(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)
CORNWALL – In a time where people are losing jobs and struggling during the pandemic, the City of Cornwall is adding a dozen full-time positions to its payroll.
At the same time, the city is removing about 22,000 part-time hours. Boosting full-time positions from 535 to 547 received a lot of scrutiny during Monday’s budget meeting. The city had 528 full-timers in 2018 and 2019, then 535 in 2020.
Coun. Dean Hollingsworth asked if there was in fact 12 more employees within the corporation.
“In relation to last year, we have 12 more full-time employees. Some of those changes happened during 2020. Some positions are vacant right now but they will be filled in 2021,” CFO Tracey Bailey answered.
CORNWALL – Cornwall city council will get down to tackling the 2021 budget today.
It will be new territory for councillors as the meeting is being held virtually through Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic.
CFO Tracey Bailey will give an overview of the budget and then department managers will be presenting their capital budgets as well as answering questions about their operating budgets.
Departments making presentations today (Feb. 1) are financial services, Glen-Stor-Dun Lodge, paramedic services, fire services, municipal works, traffic signals and street lighting, and transit.
The meeting starts at 2:30 p.m. and is expected to go to 8 p.m. with the same time on Tuesday and Wednesday.
CORNWALL – The city has announced its permanently closing Richelieu Child Care Center.
The move comes after a “comprehensive operational review” of the corporation’s child care section.
The center on York Street will shut its doors June 30.
Social and Housing Services Manager Mellissa Morgan says money and staff from Richelieu will be used to boost child care services at other centers in Cornwall and SD&G.
The city adds it will transition families with children at Richelieu to other providers.
The center, which has been open since 1979, was licenced for 10 toddlers and 32 preschool aged children up to 6 years old.
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