Comparing Municipal Services

Table 3; Comparing Service Expense Allocations                                                              Source: Audited Financial Statements

Table 3 shows how Owen Sound and the three primary comparator municipalities spend their money on services. Note that the comparator municipality that’s closest to Owen Sound’s characteristics, Cobourg, spends $3,783,306 less than Owen Sound on services. However, Cobourg’s Revenue from Taxation is $6,503,462 less than Owen Sound’s. This tells us that Cobourg is generating $2,720,156 more from other revenue sources than Owen Sound. This is largely due to Cobourg leveraging its assets to establish profit centers that contribute over $2 million in annual revenues.

Also of note is the relative cost of Administration or General Government. Owen Sound spends nearly $1.5 million more in this area than Cobourg and $2.9 million more than the average of the three primary comparator municipalities.

Transit

Table 4; Comparing 2021 Transit Service Costs                                                                       Source: 2021 Budget Statements 33 - 40

Five of the eight municipalities in the study group provide Transit Services. The average of the three primary comparators is $902,539. Owen Sound’s costs in 2021 were close to the costs of the three primary comparators and only $249,771 above the average. It’s important to note when compared to Cobourg, the municipality with nearly identical characteristics to Owen Sound, spent only $83.287 less than Owen Sound in 2021. Therefore it’s safe to say that Transit is not the problem.

In regard to bus fare costs Cobourg had the lowest fare costs in 2021 at $2.25 followed closely by Tillsonburg at $2.50, Thorold at $2.90 and Owen Sound at $3.00. Of note is that Thorold has a special weekend fare that is significantly higher than the weekday fare at $7.00 per ride. Perhaps this is something Owen Sound should consider.

Library

Table 5; Comparing Library Services                                                                                 Source: 2021 Budget Statements 33 - 40

Only 50% of municipalities in the study group provide Library Services. The average cost of Library Services for the two primary comparator municipalities was $883,111 in 2021. In comparison Owen Sound’s cost was only slightly higher at $1,006,858. Therefore it’s safe to say that Library Services are not a major contributor to the excessive expenses problem.

Cultural Services

Table 6; Comparing Cultural Services                                                                                  Source: 2021 Budget Statements 33 - 40

Six of the eight municipalities in the study group provided Cultural Services in the form of Museums or Art Galleries in 2021. The average of the two primary comparators that provide Cultural Services is $273,436. With a cost of $450,000, Owen Sound’s costs for the Art Gallery were close to double the average of the primary comparators in 2021. Therefore to some extent our Art Gallery does contribute to our expenses problem. However, when you consider our expenses are $11 million above average, the Art Gallery excessive expense does not significantly contribute to the overall problem.

Parks

Table 7; Comparing Municipal Parks and Green Spaces Source:                                                Source: 2021 Budget Statements 33 - 40

Of the eight municipalities in the study group, Cobourg spends by far the most on maintaining their parks at $2.7 million which is almost double what Owen Sound spends. The average of the three primary comparators was $1,658,914 in 2021.
Recreation

Table 8; Comparing Municipal Recreation Facilities Source:                                                     Source: 2021 Budget Statements 33 - 40

In regard to maintaining recreation facilities the average of the primary comparators in 2021 was $1,910,200. This is nearly identical to the $1,981,452 that Owen Sound spent that year. Therefore it’s safe to say that Owen Sound’s recreation expenses are in line with the other comparator municipalities.

Supplementary Information: a look at the magnitude of the problem