CAOs of the City of Windsor and the County of Essex. The recommendation stemmed from a report prepared by the CAOs which served to assist in resolving the matter of the approval of the 2017 and 2018 EWSWA budgets.
The recommendation, as contained within the report, was as follows:
THAT the Board acknowledge the built-in budget pressures due to increasing debenture payments and other non-discretionary costs and commit to working towards a sustainable, balanced budget over the next ten years while maintaining appropriate reserve funds and avoiding significant spikes in tipping fees.
With 2018 being Year 1 of the 10 year period this means that the objective is to attain a balanced budget by the time of the preparation of the 2027 budget.
The same recommendation was presented both to County Council in February 2018 and Windsor Council in March 2018 as part of their consideration and approval of the Authority's 2018 budget.
15 Year Budget Forecast (attached to this report)
As part of the annual budget preparation process, a 15 year forecast is prepared. A copy of the forecast is attached to this report. This forecast shows that in order to have a balanced budget by 2027, the amount assessed annually by the Authority to the City of Windsor and the 7 County municipalities will need to increase 4.1% for each year beginning with the 2019 budget.
The outcome of these annual increases of 4.1% for each year starting in 2019 and continuing to 2027 is that the Authority's budget will be balanced in the 2027 budget year without the requirement for a contribution from the Rate Stabilization Reserve at that time.
EWSWA Approved Budget Recommendations
The following are the full 2020 budget recommendations approved by the EWSWA Board at its November 5, 2019 meeting.
1. Approve the 2020 Expenditure and Revenue budget estimate figures excluding the municipal Total Waste Management Fee (Tip Fee) and the municipal Fixed Cost Assessment.