Hastings County council has approved a $211.5 million spending plan for this year.

At its meeting on Thursday council signed off on an operating budget worth $179.8 million and $31.6 million in capital projects.  It amounts to a 4.79 per cent tax hike that works out to a $27 annual increase on a residential home assessed at $190,000.  

'2023 is full of highlights, opportunities and challenges as the municipality works toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,' Director of Finance Tony Bird said as he tabled his first budget with Hastings County.

"As we move out of that stage there are unfortunately lasting effects to operations," he said.  "As the one time funding opportunities dissolve some of the pressures that have come from it have not."

His budget overview noted Hastings County continues to see an increase in service demand in an environment of escalating costs with provincial and federal funding that is not keeping pace with inflationary pressures.

"Inflationary increases have had a material effect on our operating departments," Bird explained.  "Food for our (long-term care) residents, fuel for our ambulances, utilities and insurance just to name a few."

Ontario Works case loads and social housing wait lists continue to grow along with planning applications.  He said paramedic services saw a 10 per cent increase in call volume in 2022 and they continue to deal with offload delays.

The paramedic services budget rose to $26 million, a nine percent increase and Hastings County Community and Human Services budget is at $94 million, a 13 per cent increase.  Of the $45 million needed for shared services - Hastings County will be asked to pay a total of $17.7-million; Belleville - $16.4 million and Quinte West $11.6 million.  Prince Edward County council approved Hastings County's request on Tuesday to kick in an additional $437,000 to boost paramedic staffing levels.  This will provide the County with two ambulances operating 24/7 within the municipality, Bird said.

"It was a very reasonable budget in a hard time," Warden Bob Mullin said in an interview following the meeting.  

He stressed that inflation affects all of Hastings County's departments and they have had a number of issues with provincial governments on formula funding.  

"We are working on formulas that are at least two years old but we are dealing with today's costs which presents a challenge in its own right," he said.  "The big challenge for Hastings County is an aging population which puts a strain on most of the services we provide."

Substantial capital investments needed to address aging infrastructure was also a major focal point in this year's budget.

"Aging social housing stock is requiring a substantial investment" of $6 million in maintenance to ensure the municipality's 1,473 units are available as wait lists grow, Bird explained.

 More big-ticket capital projects include a $14.9 million 32-unit housing complex in Quinte West, $5.2 million for a new paramedic base in Stirling-Rawdon, $984,000 for six new vehicles and $600,000 for three new ambulances.  Hastings County is spending $150,000 on doctor recruitment and $75,000 for relocation support.  

Hastings County is also putting millions towards upgrades at its two long-term care homes.

Hastings Manor in Belleville is slated to undergo $1.3 million in capital spending including $250,000 for resident bed replacements (250 beds over two years) and $240,00 in floor replacements over five years as rooms become vacant.  Another $1.2 million is proposed for Centennial Manor in Bancroft.  Notable projects include $200,000 for park enhancements and $100,000 for an elevator upgrade.

As infrastructure ages Bird said Hastings County "needs to be ready to address issues that aren't front and center and show up as surprises."  The asset management management plan has identified a number of projects that the municipality continues to work toward addressing.

"We are doing so by increasing some of our reserve contributions," Bird stated.  "We are redirecting long-term care debt payments to capital reserves. We are applying portions of our surpluses towards capital reserves and we continue to search and move as quickly as we can on any grant opportunities that surface."