COUNTY OF WELLINGTON – The county closed out 2023 with a surplus due to savings in some departments like child care and general government, a report states.
The 2023 year-end variance and budgetary surplus report said the county’s year-end position resulted in a surplus of just over $1.2 million which worked out to be 1.4 per cent of the 2023 tax levy.
Many departments experienced savings through 2023, according to the report. General government saw a surplus of $600,000 due to staff vacancies that went unfilled for various periods of time.
Children’s early years similarly saw a positive variance of $569,000 attributed to higher amount of costs being eligible for funding under the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care program funding.
General revenues, expenditures and taxes saw a surplus of about $1.7 million due to greater than anticipated supplementary and omitted assessment revenue.
Some of these surpluses were offset by negative variances in other departments.
Roads ended up over budget by $657,000 due to inflationary impacts to parts costs and maintenance service. Winter control, the largest expense in the roads budget, came in well under budget by just under $1.8 million but these savings were transferred to a winter control reserve.
Social housing had a negative position of $325,000 attributed to pressures in the homelessness system and increased cost to maintain social housing units.
Land ambulance, library and long-term care also saw negative variances due to higher salaries and benefit costs, labour pressures and lower provincial funding.
Staff have recommended $160,200 of the surplus go ot the post-employment benefit reserve to fund post-employment liability and the remainder to the ambulance capital reserve to reduce future debt requirements for the county’s contribution to the Elmira Road station upgrade.
