West Lincoln elects new council member; St. Catharines gets first look at 2025 mayor’s budget, Pelham finds natural assets that could create big savings
Niagara Democracy Watch is The Pointer’s weekly feature aimed at increasing the public’s awareness and political involvement in the Niagara Region by highlighting key agenda items, motions and decisions.
Council (Budget) Meeting
Date: November 6 - 5:00 p.m. | Delegate | Full Agenda | Watch live
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe to present mayor’s budget for 2025
On Wednesday evening, Mayor Mat Siscoe will present his second “Mayor’s budget”, which will determine increases for operating, water and wastewater and capital budgets for 2025. Subject to possible amendments proposed by the other Council members, local ratepayers will see a 3.66 percent levy increase from the 2024 operating budget, which will have a 2.71 percent increase or $47.10 impact on the median household in St. Catharines. In addition, the mayor is proposing three additional capital projects that were not originally slated for next year.
In June 2023, the Province extended “Strong Mayor Powers” to the municipality. While the stated rationale for the additional authority for the heads of council for various Ontario municipalities was to supposedly speed up housing starts, the legislation included provisions for mayors to unilaterally hire key staff, exercise veto rights and to introduce the annual municipal budgets.
In November 2023, St. Catharines staff outlined what was described as “proposed” operating, capital and water/wastewater budgets that would be used to “support and inform the Mayor’s budget.” Mayor Siscoe remarked at the time, “staff have made their recommendations but at this stage it becomes a political document. I know that the budget I will be presenting in January, while it will look similar, it will have additions and it will have deletions.” When the Mayor presented his budget in early 2024 it did not differ substantially from what had been presented by staff, with one notable exception.
The mayor’s budget proposed the elimination of the forestry section of the City’s Municipal Works department, with the services to be contracted out. Siscoe indicated that the move would realize initial savings of $450,000, with annual savings of $700,000 in each of the two subsequent years.
The proposal galvanized public opposition, with a packed Council Chambers and nine delegates speaking against the possible move. Councillor Caleb Ratzlaff (Ward 4 - St. Patrick's) introduced an amendment to keep the forestry services “in house” that was met with unanimous approval. Mayor Siscoe did not exercise his veto rights under the Strong Mayor’s Powers.
For the 2025 budget, Mayor Siscoe has only removed one item that had originally been proposed by staff. An updated funding strategy related to development charges exemptions, as a result of Bill 23 was recommended by staff at a cost of $250,000. The amount was included in the budget as a cushion, with the extent of the mandatory exemption program for affordable housing units yet to be fully defined by the Province.
Mayor Siscoe did not provide specific rationale for the item’s removal in the report for Wednesday or in the related news release.
The 2025 budgets are “another first” for the municipality, as noted by Director of Financial Management Services and City Treasurer, Kristine Douglas, at Council’s October 23rd budget meeting. The documents represent year two of a three-year budget that was formally adopted in February. As a result, the 2025 budget was “adopted in principle”, with a provisional levy increase of 3.69 percent estimated for 2025.
In 2022, St. Catharines Council approved moving to a multi-year budget, as “a best practice that supports financial sustainability and long-term financial planning.” Implementation of the multi-year budget policy was held off until council members entered the second year of their mandate.
The Municipal Act, 2001, requires a municipality in the second and each subsequent year of a multi-year budget to review and readopt the budget for that year and for the subsequent years to which it applies. The process currently underway is the first “readoption” of the budget for St. Catharines City Council.
While the 2025 budget has been adopted in principle, it does not mean that what was approved in February remains static. The staff report on the October 23rd budget meeting agenda noted that changes could be made for such matters as unforeseen economic factors affecting costs, service demand or projected revenues; newly introduced legislative requirements; Council directions throughout the year that had occurred after the budget adoption and operational and technical needs in line with Council’s strategic plan.
Staff summarized the operating budget changes as impacts from increased charges for postage, audit fees, the street lighting maintenance program, and waste collection; changes to fire insurance benefits, increased IT hardware and software costs; approximately $400,000 in staffing changes, offsite storage costs for museum artifacts; and increased funding for the Niagara District Airport. Council directed changes included funding for a Planning and Building fee waiver policy, an $18,000 increase for conference and convention expenses for Council members, two cleanups for Fairview and John Page Parks, over and above the normal service level for passive parks and a stipend of $20,000 in 2025 for the Jr. A Lacrosse Association to rent at the Walker Sports and Ability Centre.
The financial impact of the changes are approximately $1.4 million, however, staff also identified a series of mitigation measures equal to approximately $3.55 million in savings. The mitigation measures include wage gapping from staff vacancies, budget reallocations, projects completed at lower costs and some increased revenue generation. As a result, the provisional levy increase of 3.69 percent in 2025, would be slightly less at 3.4 percent, subject to any further budget additions proposed by the Mayor.
Mayor Siscoe made his budget public on Monday, October 28th, initiating the 30-day amendment process. The Mayor endorsed all of the Council directed changes to the operating budget. The one major addition contained in his budget is the return of a full-time Accessibility Coordinator staff position, a recommendation of the City’s Accessibility Committee. In a related news release, Siscoe states that the hiring will “ensure the implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is at the forefront of all municipal decision making, ensuring that our City is one that is fully accessible and livable for all.” The budget impact for 2025 is $123,000.
On the capital budget side, the Mayor is proposing three changes. $900,000 is being allocated for eight dedicated pickleball courts to be installed in Burgoyne Woods. At the October 7th Council meeting, Siscoe indicated that he would be adding the project to his upcoming budget. At that meeting, Council endorsed a funding application to the provincial Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund. While City staff is generally supportive of the project, the addition to the Mayor’s capital budget expedites the item, which Siscoe justified due to “the public’s growing interest in pickleball, strongly expressed by the community.” Despite the project’s initiation, with design and procurement requirements, it will likely be 2026 before pickleballers will be able to play on the proposed courts.
The Mayor’s capital budget also initiates the rehabilitation of George Taylor Field based on “the interest of several collegiate level ball teams.” The $1.1 million capital investment will fix current drainage issues and update playing surfaces. Finally, $50,000 is being added in 2025, with $175,000 in 2026, to begin implementation of amenities identified with the Waterfront Access Master Plan.
The addition of the three capital projects has no direct incremental impact on the operating budget, as they are being offset by surplus in prior projects and, in the case of the pickleball courts, external funding. Siscoe notes in the news release that his budgets have avoided “the temptation of blowing through reserves.”
With the various proposed changes, the annual levy increase is 3.66 percent, almost equal to the 3.69 percent increase adopted in principle for the 2025 budget in February of this year. The related report on Wednesday’s agenda stresses that the final tax bill received by residents will be impacted by Regional tax ratios (and education rates set by the Province, although this rate has remained unchanged for years).
After Mayor Siscoe presents his budget Wednesday evening, City councillors will have a week to notify staff of any amendments they are proposing. These will then be considered at a meeting on November 20th. If any amendments are approved by a majority vote of Council, the Mayor will have a 10-day veto period. If the Mayor exercises his veto rights, Council then has 15 days to override it. For an override to be successful, a vote of two-thirds of Council (nine votes) is required.
While all of the stipulated time periods may be shortened, staff has identified December 16th as a potential special meeting date to consider the overrides to any mayoral vetoes. Once all amendments, vetoes and overrides have been dispensed with, the budgets are considered adopted and do not require a final vote for approval by Council.
The reports related to Mayor Siscoe’s operating and capital budgets can be read here and here.
Council Meeting
Date: November 6 - 9:00 a.m. | Delegate | Full agenda | Watch live
Pelham looks to natural assets for potential savings
With most municipal councils currently preoccupied with budget matters, including crucial infrastructure replacement, Pelham Council will receive a presentation at its next meeting, from the Town’s Environmental Coordinator, on the importance of managing the municipality’s natural assets and the potential cost savings that can be realized by doing so.
Natural assets are natural resources or ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, watercourses, agricultural lands and shorelines, that can be relied upon or managed for the sustainable provision of local services. As per the related staff report, “natural assets offer many benefits, such as carbon storage, biodiversity support, and recreational opportunities, all of which contribute to community well-being and resilience.”
The presentation at Wednesday morning’s Council meeting of the Pelham-Greenbelt Natural Asset Management Project is the culmination of a two-year process.
In 2022, staff identified natural asset management as a key tool for environmental preservation and climate change adaptation, a priority subsequently adopted by Pelham Town Council as part of its strategic plan. In July 2023, the Town secured $67,377 in funding from the Greenbelt Foundation to develop a Municipal Natural Asset Management Plan (MNAMP), which would include a survey of the Greenbelt area within Pelham.
With a goal of ensuring the Town’s natural assets are identified, measured, valued and managed to protect their integrity, and the long-term benefits they can provide, Town staff partnered with the Natural Assets Initiative (NAI), a Canadian non-governmental organization. NAI produced a technical report, released this past June, which recommended 11 next steps for Pelham to better protect and proactively manage natural assets.
Wednesday’s presentation to Council will include details of the survey of natural assets in the study area of the Upper Twelve Mile Creek sub-watershed and the value of natural assets compared to “engineered alternatives.”
NAI identified 4,428 individual natural assets in the study area, covering 10,458 hectares. The natural assets were categorized as forests, wetlands, watercourses, meadows and hedgerows. Forest and wetland assets were assessed as being largely in very good or good condition, while meadow, aquatic, and hedgerow assets ranked across the full range of condition scores from poor to very good. NAI also developed an interactive “dashboard” to allow for the public to access the data in greater detail.
The related staff report on Wednesday’s agenda states the study revealed the “significant role” that the forests and wetlands play in absorbing rainwater and reducing peak flows during storms. Modeling estimated that the Town saved $6 million in stormwater management services, as a result. Without the presence of the natural assets, peak flows would have been 468 percent greater, resulting in significant flooding, erosion and infrastructure damage. The report concludes that “built infrastructure has mixed effectiveness in reducing flow rate and is more costly in the long-term.”
In addition to the stormwater management benefits, the presentation notes an annual “ecosystem service value” of between $22 to $25 million in the form of carbon sequestration, which limits climate change, freshwater supply, recreational opportunities and habitat protection.
Wednesday’s presentation of the Pelham-Greenbelt Natural Asset Management Project is just for information. The 11 recommendations from the technical report will be the subject of future reports to Council or will be brought forward in the budget process.
Staff describe the recommendations as falling under three overarching themes: Protect What You Can, as it is more cost effective and beneficial to protect existing ecosystems than it is to rehabilitate them if they become degraded; Make Evidence-Based Decisions to Manage Natural Assets, which could include proactive management of erosion sites and formalization of an invasive species strategy, and Build Awareness and Partnerships, recognizing that not all of the natural assets within the municipality are under the jurisdiction of the Town.
Local organization, PATH (Pelham Advocates for Trees and Habitat), has a related correspondence on Wednesday’s agenda, which describes the project as “exciting news”, while encouraging Council to “diligently” accept and follow through on all of the recommendations.
The related staff report can be read here.
First-time candidate Greg Maychak wins West Lincoln by-election
Late Tuesday afternoon, the Clerk of West Lincoln formally certificated political newcomer, Greg Maychak, as the newest Council member representing Ward 3 - Smithville. Maychak, a retired Manager of Sport and Community Development with the City of Hamilton, finished with 512 votes, ahead of next-placed finisher, former Mayor and current Niagara Catholic District School Board Trustee, Doug Joyner. Joyner finished with 466 votes after the November 4th vote.
West Lincoln by-election results.
The by-election was triggered after Council declared the seat vacant in June. Councillor Terry Bell had been absent, without authorization, from the meetings of the Township Council for three successive months due to health reasons.
Despite a slow start that did not see anyone put their name forward in the two weeks after nominations opened, five candidates eventually filed for the Council position. The other candidates for the seat were Heather Gill, Stefanie Bonazza and Gord MacCharles. None of the candidates, other than Joyner, had run previously in an election and all were relative newcomers to West Lincoln, having lived in the community for less than ten years.
Reached by The Pointer, the day after the by-election, Maychak said the message he shared on the campaign trail connected with many people.
“[E]ven though things started slowly, I found as I hit the two-week mark my message started to resonate with people. I was really encouraged by the support, which built up some confidence and got me working harder. It resulted in myself and my volunteers realizing that, ‘hey, maybe we actually have a chance of winning.’”
Although it was his first election race, Maychak felt that his proven experience in municipal government, as a staff person, and community work had meaning to the electorate in Smithville.
Asked what surprised him most on the campaign trail, Maychak noted he was impressed by the commitment of the Smithville electorate to do their homework and research the positions of the four first-time candidates.
Maychak admitted that the name recognition of Doug Joyner in West Lincoln was daunting, almost akin to running against an incumbent.
“When the former mayor, who did good work, put his papers forward, I thought he certainly had the best chance.”
On election night, Maychak attended Township Hall to see the results come in after polls closed at 8:00 p.m. Seven minutes later, the outcome of advanced voting showed him a mere six votes behind Joyner, which was a cause of optimism for him.
“I knew that the advanced polls took place a week earlier. I was seeing in the final week of the campaign a slow shift of momentum that actually shocked me. I had people that I didn’t reach out to, coming to my house saying they were voting for me and asking for lawn signs.”
Ten minutes later the results from voting day were posted, finding Maychak in first place. Asked how he felt he replied, “I was pleasantly surprised but also feeling a sense of responsibility. It's one thing to talk, but you have to walk the walk.”
Later election night, and unbeknownst to him, his wife had purchased a bottle of champagne, which was uncorked with his team of volunteers, who he thanked for their hard work and assistance. Maychak also made it a point to thank Terry Bell for his service to the community. He noted that during his door-to-door campaigning the electorate spoke highly of the former councillor.
When asked at the beginning campaign, what kind of councillor he would be if elected, Maychak called upon his experience as a municipal staff member.
“[T]he more successful councillors in Hamilton, and the ones that I most respected, were the ones that cared about the community, answered phone calls, but more importantly, got back to constituents. Not always with the answer that they wanted, but they did follow up. If I am lucky enough to be elected, I hope to emulate that approach.”
The West Lincoln By-election was the culmination of a spate of recent council vacancies in Niagara. Interestingly, the three municipal councils affected chose different methods of filling the vacancies.
In Niagara Falls, Council chose to directly appoint former councillor and the next-placed finisher in the 2022 election, Chris Dabrowski to fill the vacancy left by long-time municipal council member and former mayor, Wayne Thomson, who resigned in September.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Council also decided to do a direct appointment to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Nick Ruller, but bucked with past practice of appointing the next-paced finisher in the previous municipal election. Instead, the majority of Council, controversially, voted to appoint Andrew Niven, the current Chair of the local Chamber of Commerce, who had not run in the last election.
As is common with by-elections, voter turnout was lower than in the general election. 1,632 out of 5,878 potential voters in Ward 3 - Smithville cast ballots in the by-election, equating to a 27.8 percent turnout. The turnout in the 2022 municipal election in West Lincoln was 43.6 percent, well-above the municipal average of 32.9 percent. The Smithville ward voters in 2022 had a 47 percent turnout.
The Town of West Lincoln’s By-Election page can be found here.
Past reporting:
Email: [email protected]
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