Funds will be returned to municipalities
GORE BAY—For the first time in several years the Provincial Services Act committee is projecting a surplus in its budget for 2024, which means that funds will be given back to Manitoulin Island municipalities.
“After our final audit this year (2024) we are expecting to be looking at a projected surplus of $180,000 that we can give back to municipalities,” stated Derek Stephens, chair of the committee after a meeting last week. “There may be a change in the numbers once the audit is complete, but it shouldn’t affect this number much.”
One of the reasons for this surplus over the previous year is, “the POA had a good year with enforcement and fines having increased (which in turns brings in more revenues) with an increase in the number of police officers in the Manitoulin Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment through a pilot project, and the officers are supposed to be staying at that complement. The officers are doing a good job and it’s making a difference with lots of busts being made on Manitoulin and Espanola,” said Mr. Stephens.
“It’s good to see the finances having been brought back around after the past few years,” said Mr. Stephens. Last year the POA saw a deficit of $11,554.
POA manager Aly Niemi confirmed the POA is looking at a surplus of $180,000 which would be paid out to municipalities. “We are holding back a little surplus, just in case, for next year,” she said.
She also confirmed one of the reasons for the surplus this year is due to the increase in OPP enforcement and subsequently the increase in fines collected, but said there “has been other changes that have also helped to make a difference.”
Since COVID, the POA has been operating at a deficit, but there has been some revenue increases due to procedural changes and improved enforcement. Ms. Niemi said staff is continually learning and connecting with the extensive network of POA offices throughout Ontario, and by leveraging all available resources the POA has streamlined its processes and ensured that it is meeting all its requirements.
Other improvements include a “customer service focus” with timely access to justice, increased early reductions and trail backlog clearing, a move to follow up on failure to respond to issues daily and the keying of tickets as they come in. There have been improvements with removing barriers to payment by adding an online option. Ms. Niemi also noted that a part-time POA position has been eliminated (although severance costs at the board have hidden some of those savings). She has also been working with Temiskaming Shores on the replacement of the POA servers. She has met with the Espanola POA office and attended a number of conferences and delegations, including an Association of Municipalities of Ontario meeting with the Attorney General where ongoing sustainability issues were discussed with the province.
The proposed POA surplus payments for each township for 2024 include: Assiginack $20,030.97; Billings $11,827.12; Burpee and Mills $7,222.30; Central $42,606.71; Cockburn Island $218.12; Gordon/Barrie Island $10,057.90; Gore Bay $20,249.09; NEMI $59,414.30; and Tehkummah $8,373.50.
