New Communications Plan Proposed
Additional Funding Needed to Hire More People, Equipment etc.
Article by Valerie MacDonald News Now Network
Northumberland - Despite the current inflation rate for July at 7.6%, Northumberland County committees are hearing budget paper issues asking for additional funding to hire more people, acquire replacement equipment and software technologies, plus other new addons in order to provide services to taxpayers in 2023.
Among the first staff requests heard by the public works committee on Sept. 5 was the creation of a county master communication plan at an estimated cost of $50,000 to better inform taxpayers about county matters due to the lack of local newspapers as communication vehicles (for example), and in order to facilitate public consultations.
Another “ask” described as “crucial” was $205,000 to upgrade IT. A new human resources position requests – ironically – includes money to hire ever increasing new employees.
These staff-initiated “issue papers” explaining the needs of new expenditures are coming at a time when at least two of the seven existing county councillors are not standing for re-election in the October municipal election – and it is not known how many others of the 5 may not be re-elected at all to return to county council.
Both county councillors Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson (not seeking re-election) and Cobourg Mayor John Henderson (who is standing for re-election) supported the creation of a new communications plan which County Warden and Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate (who is also standing for re-election) said is important in seeking ways to advise people about county matters and to keep them informed since local newspapers are no longer the option available and were used before closures.
Sanderson and Henderson said the communication plan should also help individual municipalities as well in getting messages out to the public and County Communications Director Kate Campbell said that would definitely be part of the consultations to create a two-way communications approach with residents. After that municipalities can take that information to create their own specific plans.
Henderson said working together this way could possibly lessen the overall expense for the County and individual municipalities in creating public communications approaches.
IT upgrades included “geoware servers”, a “cluster server” and “hybrid meeting rooms” totally $205,000.
“Out of date technology software and equipment, especially those that are part of the core infrastructure that supplies technology services to the County, pose a significant risk to the organization if they fail. Recovery time and unplanned purchases of new equipment pose a financial and operational risk to the organization,” states this particular issue paper.
Several departments including HR, communications and IT requested $11,000-14,000 in new levy money, each, to hire summer students as well as a business application co-ordinator.
In addition, requests were made for a full time administrative clerk, two community engagement officers for the archives and museum would add to the levy, along with about $34,000 each for two natural heritage seasonal technician in the County Forest.
The information was received by the committee but no final budget decisions are made at this level. There are five other committees and each of these have the potential to receive issue papers also seeking to hire new employees using levy dollars in 2023.
#northumberlandcounty, #inflation
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