2025 Budget - Transfers to Organizations for Provision of Services

In accordance with the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act 2019, the Peterborough Police Service has a separate budget process, which includes submission to, and approval by, the Police Services Board. In accordance with Section 50 of the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019:

50 (1) A municipality that maintains a municipal board shall provide the board with sufficient funding to, (a) provide adequate and effective policing in the municipality; and (b) pay the expenses of the board’s operation, other than the remuneration of board members. 

50 (2) A municipal board shall submit operating and capital estimates to the municipality that will show, separately, the amounts that will be required to, (a) provide adequate and effective policing in the municipality, including the amounts required to provide the police service with required equipment and facilities, having regard for the various ways that the board can discharge this obligation; and (b) to pay the expenses of the board’s operation, other than the remuneration of board members. 

Subsections 4 and 5 of Section 50 stipulate that: 

50 (4) Upon reviewing the estimates, the municipality shall establish an overall budget for the municipal board for the purposes described in clauses (1) (a) and (b) and, in doing so, the municipality is not bound to adopt the estimates submitted by the municipal board. 

50. (5) In establishing an overall budget for the municipal board, the municipality does not have the authority to approve or disapprove specific items in the estimates. 

2025 Request

The Police Services Board 2025 request of $44,028,282 is an increase of 8.8%, or $3,550,035, over 2024.

The Police Services Board 2025 request included in the 2025 budget has been limited to a 3% increase as identified in the Preliminary Estimate of Anticipated Budget Impacts presented to Council in June of 2024.

To include the balance of the Police Services Board 2025 request would be an additional $2,018,830, or 0.95% increase in the All-Inclusive Rate. 

Fairhaven is a municipally funded long-term care home located in the City of Peterborough. The City funds two-thirds of Fairhaven operations and Peterborough County funds one-third.

Operating Support

Fairhaven requested operational funding from the City in the amount of $1,596,500, an increase of $0 from the 2023 Budget.

Contribution to Reserve 

With the end of the Debt Servicing commitment in 2021, a portion of those funds have been contributed to reserve for Fairhaven future capital needs.

Fairhaven Capital Funding

Fairhaven has limited revenue sources, and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care does not provide funding for capital projects, equipment, or the building. As part of report CPFS12-062 dated September 4, 2012, Council resolved that beginning with the 2013 Capital Budget, an annual provision would be included in each draft Capital Budget to support Fairhaven’s on-going capital program. Fairhaven staff completed an updated capital plan in 2024. The provision for 2025 is $473,000 (2024 - $430,000).

The County of Peterborough is the delivery agent for both the City and the County. PCCP provides care, treatment, and transportation to the residents and visitors of Peterborough County, City, and surrounding areas. 

The fundamental mission of the Peterborough County/City Paramedics is: 

• To be available on a 24-hour basis to respond with optimum speed and efficiency to all emergencies;
• To provide emergency patient care to the public we serve. Emergency patient care includes the stabilization, treatment, and transportation of the acute and critically injured; and
• The transport of patients between health care facilities or to or from residences for admission, discharge and/or treatment.
  
  

The City’s portion of the PCCP expenses for 2025 has been budgeted at $6.9 million or a 2.0% increase over the 2024 funding request as identified in the Preliminary Estimate of Anticipated Budget Impacts presented to Council in June of 2024.
The funding request from Peterborough County is $7,071,091 for Operating and $388,267 for Capital. The total request for 2025 is $7,459,358 and would require an additional $512,345 be added to the Draft 2025 budget, or 0.24% increase in the All-Inclusive Rate.

The cost share between the City and the County is based on population as per the 2021 census. The City’s share is 56.64% (2024 – 56.64%).

The budget is a preliminary estimate until the County 2025 budget is approved.

Recommendation

That any unused Peterborough County/City Paramedics Services (PCCP) Budget at the end of 2025 be transferred to the PCCP Reserve, subject to the overall year-end position and that, if the actual PCCP costs exceed the 2025 Budget, funds may be drawn from the PCCP Reserve.

ORCA is a community-based environmental agency that protects, restores, and manages the natural resources within the Otonabee Region watershed. Otonabee Conservation works with its eight member municipalities to create a healthy, environmentally diverse watershed that improves the quality of life for residents, makes our area more appealing to visitors and new business, and helps to ensure a more vibrant regional economy.

The 2025 budgeted contribution is $860,880, which represents a 0.7% increase over the 2024 amount.

Recommendation

That any adjustments to the City’s portion of ORCA’s 2025 Budget be netted against the City’s 2025 General Contingency provision.

Peterborough Humane Society (PHS) provides animal control services including enforcement of the City's animal control by-law and provincial legislation. PHS also operates the City's Pound and issues dog and cat licences.

In addition to providing services to the City, the PHS is an affiliate member of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (“OSPCA”), mandated to prevent cruelty to animals, including domestic, livestock/farm, working animals, zoos, and wildlife. The PHS advocates responsible pet ownership through education, in addition to operating a shelter and fundraising activities.

This role is separate and apart from that of the PHS’s contractual arrangements with the City, but it allows the City to benefit from the expertise and training of the OSPCA officers who enforce the City’s by-laws and the highest standards of animal care that are set out in the OSPCA Act. The City pays an all-inclusive price for the services as well as the property taxes at the PHS’s facility. PHS retains Pound fees; destruction and disposal fees; dog and cat license fees and 50% of fine revenue collected.

A City / PHS agreement was approved through Report CLSFS21-045 dated November 16, 2021. The agreement is a five-year agreement for the period ending December 31, 2026.

The draft budget includes funding of $456,045 per the agreement. For 2025, PHS is requesting an additional $90,000 over the contract amount.

Since 2022, there has been an increase in animal intakes, and animal control complaints, and significant increased costs for supplies, food, medical and housing costs for the services provided within the City.

At current, even with the $90,000 funding increase, PHS is projecting a $37,000 deficit in 2025 to support the services within our agency agreement and will be required to adjust service levels. Reduced service levels will include reducing hours of operation for animal services, including after-hours 24-hour animal support services. This will impact after hours and emergency services calls outside of regular operating hours, where officers will follow up with calls and complaints the next business day. This adjustment in service will allow PHS to operate at a net zero (or close to) budget for City services in 2025 with the requested $90,000 increase.

Further details of this request can be found in the ‘Staff Identified Needs Not Included in the Draft 2025 Budget’ schedules in Part 4 of the Budget Book.

The City provides funds to the Innovation Cluster for the City's share of operating requirements.

The Innovation Cluster has been very successful with its numerous programs and resources focused on enabling entrepreneurs to enhance their skills and launch innovative companies that create jobs in the region. 2025 represents the fourth year of a five-year agreement with the Innovation Cluster. The agreement includes a provision for an inflationary increase and expires December 31, 2026. The Draft 2025 Budget includes the funding amount in accordance with the agreement.

The City has two Business Improvement Areas: The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area and the Village Business Improvement Area. Both were created for the improvement, beautification and maintenance of municipally owned land, buildings, and structures in the area, beyond that provided at the expense of the City, and for the promotion of the area as a business and shopping area. 

Section 205 of the Municipal Act, 2001 states the following regarding budgets submitted by Business Improvement Areas:

1. A board of management shall prepare a proposed budget for each fiscal year by the date and in the form required by the municipality and shall hold one or more meetings of the members of the improvement area for discussion of the proposed budget. 
2. A board of management shall submit the budget to council by the date and in the form required by the municipality and the municipality may approve it in whole or in part but may not add expenditures to it.

There is no net impact to the City in approving the Levy submitted on behalf of the BIAs as the amounts levied are raised annually by a special charge upon the rateable properties in each of the business areas. 

Through Report CAO17-008 dated September 5, 2017, Council adopted By-law 17-095 being a by-law to implement and update local policies to guide the operation and conduct of existing and new business improvement areas for the benefit of their members and the residents of Peterborough.

2025 Overview

The Peterborough DBIA was designated by the City in 1981. The boundaries are north to Murray Street, west to Bethune Street, south to Dalhousie Street, east to the Hunter Street Bridge. The DBIA represents over 400 businesses in the Downtown core.

The budget submitted by the DBIA reflects a 3.0% increase over 2024. This budget was approved and ratified by members at their Annual General Meeting on June 26, 2024. 

City Contributions to the DBIA

In addition to collecting the levy from members of the DBIA, the City's 2025 Operating Budget includes four additional amounts that support the activities of the DBIA.

In-kind Services Budget of $27,500 is used to support events by helping to pay for road closures, paid-duty policing, and park rentals. 

The Public Works budget includes an allocation of $132,500 for Street Cleaning within the DBIA. 

On February 13, 2017, in consideration of Report OCS17-003 – OMB Appeal – 1400 Crawford Drive, Council committed to make an additional financial contribution towards the DBIA in the amount of $150,000 for a term of 20 years. The OMB Appeal and that obligation are the subject of Report LSOCS24-008 Review of OMB Appeal re OPA 173 and zoning By-law 16-053 dated November 18, 2024, of the City Solicitor. In this Report staff recommend redirecting the $150,000 annual payment back to the City to reduce the 2025 net tax levy requirement. This has been reflected in the City’s draft budget.

The following chart summarizes the funding to the DBIA.

The 2025 budget includes $18,915 for the VBIA, a 1.5% increase from 2024.