Managing a Large Budget
In 1999, the Finance and Administration Committee oversaw the financial management of the Region's gross expenditure budget of $736.9 million (including reserve contributions) and a regional staff compliment (excluding police) of 1,500 employees.
That was a 20 per cent increase from the 1998 gross expenditure budget as several new service responsibilities were transferred from the province.
The Committee has certainly met with great success. There was no tax levy increase required in 1999 despite increased spending on the regional road network and some enhancements to critical reserves. Also, the Region's "Triple A" credit rating was maintained by the Canadian Bond Rating Service and even upgraded by Moody's of New York.
The primary task of the Finance and Administration Committee is to provide policy direction and guidance to ensure that current and future regional program and service responsibilities are properly financed and that all public funds are spent effectively. It is also responsible for overseeing several essential support services through the Corporate & Legal Services Department.
Forward-Looking Financial Strategies
The Committee has consistently followed several key financial principles that have served the Region well. The first is that revenues equal expenditures – a simple concept but one that often requires difficult choices. The other is that "growth pays for growth", a concept reinforced by the Region's aggressive Development Charges By-law. The Committee updated the DC By-law in 1999 and incorporated an additional $63 million for growth-related infrastructure projects.
Managing the budget in York Region is all about managing growth effectively. Through an effective user-pay system implemented for water, wastewater and solid waste services, the Region has been able to meet growth challenges without raising user rates since 1994. Long-term capital and operating fund forecasts are a key component in the Region's financial strategy.
In order to have a clear vision as to where the corporation has been and where it is going, an exciting new approach to developing departmental budgets was adopted. The Committee oversaw this change from calendar-based annual budgets to multi-year business plans. Developed throughout 1999, the new approach was used to develop the 2000 Budget & Business Plan. For the first time, it gave Council two-year forecasts for revenues and expenditures based on programs and services, not on Department structures.
More Than Dollars & Cents
The Finance and Administration Committee oversees a lot more than the financial accounts. One very large and important undertaking in 1999 was the transfer of the administration of the Provincial Offences Court in York Region. As of July 1999, the Region began prosecuting most Highway Traffic Act offences and sharing revenues with area municipalities.
Another significant accomplishment in 1999 was expansion of our Human Resource Services Department and the hiring of the Region's first Commissioner of Human Resource Services– Jim Davidson.
The Committee also oversaw a busy year in the Supplies and Services Branch, the IT Services Branch and the Facilities Management Branch of the Finance Department.
The Corporate & Legal Services Department also reports to the Committee. It oversees the operation of the Clerk's Office, Legal Services, Realty Services, Court Administration and Records Management.
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