Barrie’s operating budget at the start of the millennium was just over $78 million.
For the first time, that figure is set to pass the $400-million mark. The business plan now before city council totals $408 million.
What’s behind the increase?
First, there’s population growth. Barrie has 60 per cent more people in 2023, all of them paying taxes but also demanding services.
Second, there’s inflation. Even with fairly minimal cost-of-living increases until the past 12 months, according to Statistics Canada what cost $1 in 2000 now costs $1.59. Just like everyone else, city hall has to give employees a raise and pay more to keep the lights on.
But taken together, population growth and inflation cover only half the increase. In other words, a city of 160,000 paying 60 per cent more than in the year 2000 would see an operating budget of about $200 million.
What explains the difference?
The answer can be found in increases right across the board.
City council members have been known to blame service partners for increases. Those are the bodies such as Barrie Police Service, County of Simcoe and the Barrie Public Library who send a bill to the city. The city doesn’t have a direct role in determining the amount of the bill.
But the numbers say that’s not the sole reason. For example, the police budget has increased 371 per cent since 2000, a big jump but less than the 420 per cent jump in overall municipal spending, and less than the 425 per cent increase in the cost of fire and emergency services, something that is under the full control of the city, not a service partner.
Spending by the library, another service partner, has increased marginally more than police, at 390 per cent over those 23 years.
But social services costs, including operating costs for social housing, have only increased 10 per cent during that time span. That’s right, Barrie budgeted $13 million on “Social and Family Services General Assistance” in 2000. This year’s bill from Simcoe County for “Social and Community Services is $14.4 million. The amount being paid by city taxpayers has actually gone down once population growth and inflation are considered.
Much of that is due to the previous provincial government taking back a large part of the cost of social services. Unfortunately, a fair chunk of those savings were negated by increases elsewhere. For example, the cost of paramedic service and homes for the aged – now called long-term care – have both jumped 608 per cent. Social housing capital costs have also skyrocketed.
There are some good news stories to be found if you look hard enough, contrastingly in high-tech and history.
Information technology’s budget in the coming year is set at $9.6 million. In 2000, what was called information systems cost the city $3.6 million. That 168 per cent increase is just about where you’d expect it to be, considering inflation and the city’s population growth, especially when you think about the larger role technology plays in our lives.
And the city’s bill from the county for museum and archives cost has increased only 25 per cent in 23 years. Considering inflation and growth, that’s actually a major decrease.
Barry Ward is a veteran editor and journalist who also served on Barrie city council for 22 years. Fair Comment appears regularly in BarrieToday.
