Fort Frances remains the only municipality in the Kenora and Rainy River districts that has refused to pay a levy increase to the Northwestern Health Unit–and the issue is starting to heat up among councillors.
Council decided to refuse to pay the hike when it was issued by the health unit back in May. But during Monday night’s council meeting, the issue once again flared up after Coun. Bill Martin re-introduced it and urged other councillors to agree to pay the full $33 per capita levy.
“We should make that decision tonight. Are we willing to pay the $33 per capita? The health of the residents is more important compared to economic development,” he argued.
The suggestion council pay the increase brought protests from several other councillors, several of whom questioned the health unit’s administration.
“I believe in the Northwestern Health Unit, I believe in the services they deliver, I just don’t know if it’s run in an efficient way,” said Mayor Glenn Witherspoon. “How a doctor can be a CEO . . . I don’t see that it can be that efficient.”
The levy is issued by the health unit every year and it increased to $33 in 2000–a jump of $1.27 from last year’s levy of $31.73. The town has paid its share based on last year’s levy but is holding back the roughly $10,000 it would cost to pay the increase.
“We have been through this and through this. We have to deliver a service,” argued Coun. Martin.
“[Dr.] Peter Sarsfield happens to be the medical officer of health but we cannot tell him on medical things what is right and what is wrong,” he continued.
“I wish it was back to the $10 before the province downloaded but I don’t see any sense in going over this all over again. It’s right here right now,” he stressed.
The health unit maintain that it hiked the levy because it was unable to meet provincial requirements, not because of inefficient administration.
“We have increased need for our services,” Wayne Hanchard, the health unit’s administration team leader, said yesterday. “Everyone is looking at increases in our operation and we’re not meeting the minimum cost of our mandate.”
In response to councillors’ questioning the increase and concerns over the effect on the municipal budget, Hanchard argued the health unit has, in turn, faced increases from the town.
“They said ‘Why aren’t you holding the line, we’re holding the line,’ then all of a sudden we see a property tax impact of 25 percent. It looks like the Town of Fort Frances isn’t holding the line,” said Hanchard, who noted property tax for the health unit’s office here has jumped from $13,000 to roughly $17,000 this year.
“We’re going to pay our property taxes, they should pay their levy,” he stressed.
The increase to the town equals about four percent and although the health unit has continued to negotiate with the town, Hanchard noted that paying the levy is not an option.
“You can’t refuse to pay a bill, you’re legally obliged to pay,” he said.
Earlier this summer, after council first refused to pay the increase, several members of the health unit met with council to present the reasons for the additional funding but failed to change its decision.
“We asked questions. We said ‘here’s our [concerns].’ We were told in essence ‘it’s none of your business, pay your bills,’” countered Coun. Sharon Tibbs.
“I have had several conversations with Dr. Sarsfield. We’re at each other and [instead] we need to get together and go to the province and say ‘this isn’t fair or equitable,’” she added.
Council also had previously requested that the health unit and municipalities work together to lobby the province for more funding rather than fight over the levy.
“No one at this table is opposed to what the Northwestern Health Unit does. We need to have that concerted front with other municipalities and the NWHU,” Coun. Dave Bourgeault said Monday.
The majority of council voted to refer the issue to the Administration and Finance committee for consideration although Couns. Martin and Struchan Gilson voted against that, seeking approval instead to pay the increase immediately.
Fort Frances Times
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