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Budget/Audit Advisory Board Agenda #1/17 March 24, 2017 9:30 A.M. HEAD OFFICE, 101 EXCHANGE AVENUE, VAUGHAN Members Chair: Maria Augimeri Colleen Jordan Gino Rosati John Sprovieri Ronald Chopowick Pages 1. MINUTES OF MEETING #3/16, HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 2016 Link to Minutes 2. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES 3. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF 4. DELEGATIONS 5. PRESENTATIONS 5.1 A presentation by Rocco Sgambelluri, Chief Financial Officer, TRCA, in regard to item 7.1 - 2017 Budget, Operating and Capital 6. CORRESPONDENCE 7. SECTION I - ITEMS FOR AUTHORITY ACTION 7.1 2017 BUDGET, OPERATING AND CAPITAL 3 8. SECTION III - ITEMS FOR THE INFORMATION OF THE BOARD 8.1 2016 YEAR END FINANCIAL PROGRESS REPORT 142 9. NEW BUSINESS NEXT MEETING OF THE BUDGET/AUDIT ADVISORY BOARD #2/17, TO BE HELD ON JUNE 9, 2017 AT 8:30 A.M. AT HEAD OFFICE, 101 EXCHANGE AVENUE, VAUGHAN Brian Denney, Chief Executive Officer /jr 2 Item 7.1 Section I – Items for Authority Action TO: Chair and Members of the Budget/Audit Advisory Board Meeting #1/17, Friday, March 24, 2017 FROM: Rocco Sgambelluri, Chief Financial Officer RE: 2017 BUDGET, OPERATING AND CAPITAL ____________________________________________________________________________ KEY ISSUE Approval of the 2017 operating and capital budget. RECOMMENDATION THE BOARD RECOMMENDS TO THE AUTHORITY THAT WHEREAS the Conservation Authorities Act (CA Act) provides that a conservation authority, in establishing its annual levy, shall have the power to determine the proportion of the total benefit afforded to all the participating municipalities that is afforded to each of them; THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED THAT, subject to such regulations under the Conservation Authorities Act as may be approved by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council: (i) all participating municipalities be designated as benefitting for programs included in the 2017 Operating Budget; (ii) Toronto and Region Conservation Authority's (TRCA) share of the cost of the programs included in the 2017 Operating Budget shall be raised from the participating municipalities as part of the general levy; (iii) the 2017 general levy be apportioned to the participating municipalities in the proportion that the modified current value assessment (CVA) of the whole is under the jurisdiction of TRCA, unless otherwise provided in the levy or a project; (iv) appropriate TRCA officials be directed to advise the participating municipalities, pursuant to the Conservation Authorities Act and the regulations made thereunder, and to levy the said municipalities the amount of the general levy set forth in the 2017 Operating Budget, and to levy the said municipalities the amount of the project and special levy set forth in the 2017 Capital Budget and in the approved projects of TRCA; THAT the 2017 Budget, Operating and Capital, and all projects therein, be adopted; THAT TRCA staff be authorized to amend the 2017 Budget, Operating and Capital to reflect actual 2017 provincial transfer payment allocations in order to set the amount of matching levy required by the CA Act; THAT the cost of property taxes imposed by municipalities be included as additional levy to the participating municipalities where the lands are located, excluding the cost of property taxes which are passed on to a third party under a lease or similar agreement; 3 Item 7.1 THAT, except where statutory or regulatory requirements provide otherwise, TRCA staff be authorized to enter into agreements with private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations or governments and their agencies for the undertaking of projects which are of benefit to TRCA and funded by the sponsoring organization or agency, including projects that have not been provided for in the approved budget; THAT, as required by Ontario Regulations 139/96 and 231/97, this recommendation and the accompanying budget documents, including the schedule of matching and non-matching levies, be approved by recorded vote; THAT the presentation of 2016 budget comparisons and related actuals be amended to conform to the presentation adopted in the 2017 budget document; AND FURTHER THAT authorized TRCA officials be directed to take such action as may be necessary to implement the foregoing, including obtaining approvals and the signing and execution of documents. RATIONALE Enclosed is the recommended 2017 Budget, Operating and Capital. The budget will be presented to the Authority for approval at its meeting scheduled to be held on March 24, 2017. Municipal Approvals Estimates are prepared in the summer and fall of each year for submission to TRCA's municipal funding partners. Staff meets with municipal staff as required by the budget processes and schedules as set out by each participating municipality. Presentations are made to municipal finance staff and the committees and councils of the funding partners as required. In the case of Peel Region, TRCA works closely with staff at Credit Valley and Halton conservation authorities to align budget information and requirements. A similar process occurs with York Region where TRCA works closely with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority. In Durham Region, TRCA staff works with five conservation authorities to align budgets and financial submissions to meet the Region of Durham requirements. TRCA's submissions to the City of Toronto for capital and operating levy are reviewed with Finance and Toronto Water staff. The funding identified in the recommended apportionment of the levy reflects the amounts that the municipal funding partners have approved in their 2017 budgets. Contributions from the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Peel and York have received council approval. The Township of Adjala-Tosorontio and the Town of Mono have been advised of TRCA's levy request. Notice of Meeting As required by regulation, TRCA has provided 30 days written notice to its member municipalities of the date of the meeting at which the Authority will consider the municipal levy. At the March 24, 2017 Authority meeting a recorded vote on the budget recommendations, including adoption of the non-matching municipal levy, is required. The weighted voting procedure prescribed by regulation will be used, if necessary. MNRF Transfer Payments The 2017 provincial transfer payments to conservation authorities, which must be matched with levy, have not been announced. The 2017 operating budget includes a provision for Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) transfer payments at an amount equal to the funding received in 2016 or $774,000. 4 Item 7.1 2017 Budget Presentation In order to meet the provisions of the Conservation Authorities Act and the regulations made thereunder, it continues to be necessary to distinguish between general levy (operating) and benefitting levy (capital and special projects.) However, due to the unique budgetary requirements of each of the four major participating municipalities, uniformity in the categorization of expenditure between operating and capital is difficult to maintain. For this reason the 2017 budget presentation format continues to focus on the nine service areas of the TRCA business plan, regardless of the underlying nature of the funding. The budget includes the following components: an expenditure summary which is aligned with the financial statement presentation (i.e., includes amortization, but excludes planned expenditures on tangible capital assets); a summary of expenditures by object classification, also consistent with the financial statement presentation; an accompanying document entitled, “Business Synopsis and Rationale” which describes the 32 programs of TRCA in greater detail (Attachment 2). Further, during the compilation of the 2017 budget, staff became aware of certain adjustments in presentation required to better reflect the work contained in each service areas. Consequently, the 2016 budget and actuals presentation has been modified to conform to the presentation adopted for 2017. Operating Budget Expenditure Overview Salary/Wage Guideline In October 2016 the Authority adopted a staff recommendation for a wage increase of 1.25%, effective April 2, 2017. TRCA salary and wage adjustments over the last five years have averaged 1.85% per year, on a simple average basis, as follows: 2017 - 1.25% 2016 – 2.00% 2015 – 2.00% 2014 – 2.00% 2013 – 2.00% Staffing Levels and Costs The full time equivalents (FTE) included in the operating budget are projected to be 441.0 for 2017 as compared to 426.6 for 2016. Including the FTE count within the capital program, the 2016 total FTE count is estimated at 771.2 (716.8 for 2016). A summary of FTEs by service area is found on page 5, in section I of the budget document. Wage and benefit costs within the operating budget amount to $35.9 million or 75% of the gross expenditures, representing an increase of about $1.8 million or 5.3% over 2016 budget. This amount includes the 1.25% cost of living adjustment noted above as well as above average increases in the cost of the TRCA employee benefit program. Also provided for are the cost of the new FTEs as noted above and the annualization of positions hired in 2016. Gross Operating Expenditures/Revenues The 2017 gross operating expenditure budget is $47.9 million, an increase of $1.9 million or 4.0% over the 2016 budget. The increase in expenditures will be financed by additional general levy of $0.4 million and additional self-generated revenues of $1.5 million. 5 Item 7.1 Operating Budget – General Levy Non-CVA General Levy Each of TRCA's participating municipalities has its own unique budget requirements and annual budgetary pressures. TRCA has met each of the individual participating municipality’s requirements. TRCA’s funding "formula" has been designed to achieve the flexibility required in meeting individual municipal partner funding guidelines. To this end, the 2017 operating levy includes a provision, totaling $497,300 (2014 - $415,600) referred to as "Non-CVA Levy". Under the provisions of the Act, TRCA makes a general levy against all of its participating municipalities to fund its general operating requirements.