North Glengarry will pay debated $64,000 to transit board

A debated motion to pay $64,000 to the North Glengarry Prescott-Russell Transit Board, to cover the regional transportation authority's budget overruns, was passed by a 4-2 vote at the regular council meeting of Monday, August 9.

In debating the motion, council members expressed reservations about the unforeseen payment and Mayor Grant Crack said he would ask the transit board - operating as Transit Eastern Ontario (TEO) - to implement changes in its decision-making process.

"We set our budgets based on requests from different community groups and organizations, and once it's approved it's a challenge when you always have to amend your budget for over expenditures," Crack said. "I believe there are changes that will be made to the board, I would like to continue to discuss with them to ensure such changes are addressed."

The NGPR Transit Board began its first bus transit system to Ottawa in November 2008, with 417 Bus Lines being awarded the tender to provide the service. A board of directors was formed and manager Robert Proulx was hired to operate the system.

The four municipalities that have passengers using the service are responsible for the budget and its overruns; North Glengarry and North Stormont each pay 15 per cent, while The Nation and Casselman are each responsible for 35 per cent.

In the staff report to council, North Glengarry's clerk administrator Terry Hart recommended the township pay the additional $64,162.52, while making a request to the board "to curtail their spending and to stay within their proposed budget."

The board has also agreed to raise its prices per passenger, beginning September 1, with an increase of $20 per monthly pass and $5 per multiple pass.

"North Glengarry is probably the biggest beneficiary," said Councillor Chris McDonell, who currently sits on the board as the township's representative. "I know this wasn't foreseen by myself, who sits on the board, it was overlooked for the last three years. I certainly agree with paying this bill, there's at least 50 people here in Alexandria who use this [service], and I would hate to something happen to this because we didn't pay."

In dissenting, councillors Jamie MacDonald and Jim Picken both expressed frustration over the board's decision-making process, noting the township - as a partner - should be consulted before such budget overruns are approved.

"I don't see this [NGPR] board being any different than the [Raisin Region] conservation authority board that I sit on," said Picken. "We set the budget and if there are any additional projects, it's brought back to partners, it's voted on [...] We are a partner of this NGPR and we should be treated the same way.

"Whenever tax dollars are being spent to the tune of $64,000, there's no one at the transit board who's going to be getting a phone call. We're responsible for our tax dollars [...] It seems like we have a blank cheque to spend ratepayers' money. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with that."

Mayor Crack recommended to council that the township pay the amount, as a partner in the board, but to work with them in the future to implement changes.

"I believe in his project but we have to make sure it's affordable and to ensure in time, as the system becomes more affordable, that there is less of a tax burden on taxpayers," he said.

Manager Robert Proulx spoke briefly during question period, saying board members were scheduled to meet with North Glengarry council members at an earlier date to discuss the request, but his appearance as a delegation was cancelled without reason.

Mayor Crack replied that the delegation appearance was cancelled as the meeting in question had already met its maximum for allotted delegations.