District services board approves budget

News — 01 March 2011

Kenora District Services Board (KDSB) has completed and approved its 2011 budget for operations and capital at a board meeting on Feb. 17, 2011.

The 2011 budget totals $38.75 million, which includes $14.53 million (37.5 per cent) in local share. This amount represents a $0.25 million (1.8 per cent) increase over the 2010 approved budget.

Lif says the biggest changes were land ambulance and social housing.

“Costs are rising dramatically there, and it’s a combination of things for the land ambulance. Costs are rising and the grants aren’t keeping the pace with the cost increases,” says Lif. “The social housing is very similar except for the fact that there has never been any new funding for social housing operations.”

Increases in land ambulance are $0.65 million and social housing will see a rise of $0.39 million.

The Ontario Works program will see an increase of $0.18 million. Lif says the caseloads are still rising but the benefits have not been fully uploaded by the province as of yet.

With two sessions in January and the final approval in February, Chief Administrative Officer, Sten Lif, says the budget process went very well.

“We tried to present a budget to the board that was operationally to maintain the services that we have, keeping in mind the strategic plan the previous board had approved,” says Lif.

Some of the budget is represented by the anticipation of a slight decrease in tenant rent revenue due to the poor economic conditions in the district.

As part of the budget, the board has approved capital projects totaling $4.7 million. Included in capital expenditures are a new land ambulance base in Kenora, roof replacements, ambulance replacements, and defibrillators and stretcher replacements.

The 2011 budget details can be viewed on the KDSB website at www.kdsb.on.ca.

By Ally Dunham