The Municipal budget allocates the resources necessary to maintain municipal services and provides a breakdown of how tax dollars are being spent. Below is a summary of various municipal expenses that are paid for with a portion of the taxes that are collected:
General Government
Expenses that deal with all administrative aspects, such as office supplies and equipment; heat and hydro; bank charge and insurance costs, salaries, building maintenance and repairs; consultant expenses; services provided by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation
Protection to Persons and Property
Fire protection agreements (Britt Fire Department, French River Fire Department and Ministry of Natural Resources); policing costs; building department costs; by-law enforcement; 911 and emergency planning expenses. The Ministry of Natural Resources deals with forest fires in the Municipality of Killarney, but does not action home or cottage fires.
Transportation Services
Includes airport expenses as well as roadway administration, upkeep of roads – i.e. Hartley Bay, Brazier and Gauthier Roads and Killarney village roads – grading, culvert work, dust control, cold mix patching, snowplowing, sanding and salting, etc.
Environmental Services – Waste Management and Recycling
The Municipality operates three landfill sites: one in Ward 1 (Killarney village) and two in Ward 2 (Hartley Bay and Key River). In addition, each site offers a recycling and electronics program that helps divert a variety of waste items.
Health Services/Social & Family Services
Includes payments to the Sudbury District Health Unit; cemetery expenses; heliport expenses at the Key River and at Hartley Bay. Payments to the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB), represent the largest percentage of the Municipality’s overall budget. DSSAB manages ambulance, social housing, child care and social services.
Recreation
Includes expenses relating to the Killarney Museum; community centre; community hall; access to the Municipality of French River library, etc.
Planning and Development
Includes expenses paid to the Sudbury East Planning Board, to which the Municipality belongs; official planning expenses, etc.
Environmental Services Not Paid by Taxes – Water and Sewer
Water and sewer expenses are not funded by tax dollars. Expenses are recovered by direct billings to water and sewer users, which covers 100% of the costs for these services. The capital construction costs of the new water treatment plant are also recovered 100% from the water and sewer users.