The budget for the Kenora District Services Board for 2020 in now in the books.
It calls for over $60 million in spending, about $3.5 million higher than last year.
Chief Administrative Officer Henry Wall says while they were able to hold the line on most items, the cost for land ambulance services is up by over a million dollars.
“That’s where our largest cost increase to the municipal sector is. From a housing standpoint we are actually reducing it by close to $300,000 but EMS is making it up most and that is the call volume for not just Kenora, but across the region, is growing at an unsustainable rate.”
Wall says their child care costs are also going to increase.
He notes they have seen about a 3% reduction in overall funding from the province..
Wall says the good news is they were able to create 150 new child care spaces, all paid for by Indigenous partners, and that will not cost local municipalities a dime.
Here are some of the highlights of the 2020 Operating Budget for the KDSB:
-Continuing to invest in local child poverty reduction programs
-Investing $24 million over the next 10 years in improving and modernizing existing housing
-Leveraging strategic partnerships to develop supported Affordable Housing units
-Working collaboratively with Indigenous partners to increase community-based culturally appropriate programming
-The increase of KDSB’s leadership role as Service System Manager for all Emergency Shelter programs, Housing, Child Care, Social Assistance and Emergency Medical Services/Land Ambulance
-As of January 1, 2020, the KDSB transitioned to a direct delivery model for Child Care programming in Dryden
