The Corporation of the County of Northumberland
Finance and Audit Committee
Agenda

Tuesday, March 04, 2025 at 11:00 A.m. - 12:30 P.m.

Council Chambers

555 Courthouse Road, Cobourg, ON K9A 5J6

Hybrid Meeting (In-Person and Virtual)

Zoom Information

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1.

Notices

1.a

Accessible Format

If you require this information in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at [email protected] or 1-800-354-7050 ext. 2327.

1.b

Meeting Format

This Committee meeting will be held using a hybrid meeting model. The public is invited to attend in-person in Council Chambers. Alternatively, the public may view the Committee meeting via live stream, join online, or join by phone using Zoom Conference technology. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

• Attend in-person in Council Chambers, located at 555 Courthouse Road, Cobourg
• Watch a livestream by visiting Northumberland.ca/Council
• Join online using Zoom
• Join by phone using Zoom

2.

Call to Order

2.a

Territorial Land Acknowledgement

3.

Approval of the Agenda

• Recommended Motion:

  "That the agenda for the March 4, 2025 Finance and Audit Committee be approved."

4.

Disclosures of Interest

5.

Delegations

6.

Business Arising from Last Meeting

7.

Communications

7.a

Correspondence, 'Redistribution of Provincial Land Transfer Tax (LTT) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) to Municipalities for Sustainable Infrastructure Funding'

• Recommended Motion:

  "That the Finance and Audit Committee receive the correspondence for information from the following municipalities regarding 'Redistribution of Provincial Land Transfer Tax (LTT) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) to Municipalities for Sustainable Infrastructure Funding', noting that County Council previously considered and supported correspondence regarding this subject matter at the February 19, 2025 Council meeting:

  • Town of Ajax; 
  • Town of Halton Hills; 
  • Town of Kearney; 
  • Town of Newmarket; 
  • Town of Pelham; 
  • City of Welland; 

  Further That the Committee recommend that County Council receive this correspondence for information."

7.b

Correspondence, Municipality of South Huron 'New Tax Class Ratio for Aggregate Operations'

• Recommended Motion:

  "That the Finance and Audit Committee receive the correspondence from the Municipality of South Huron regarding 'New Tax Class Ratio for Aggregate Operations' for information, noting that County Council previously considered correspondence regarding this subject matter at the February 19, 2025 Council meeting, and subsequently received it for information; and

  Further That the Committee recommend that County Council receive this correspondence for information."

7.c

Correspondence, Township of Uxbridge 'Buy Canadian Policy'

• Recommended Motion:

  "That the Finance and Audit Committee receive the correspondence from the Township of Uxbridge regarding 'Buy Canadian Policy' for information; and

  Further That the Committee recommend that County Council receive this correspondence for information."

8.

Staff Reports

8.a

Report 2025-039 'New Optional Multi-Residential Subclass' - Presentation 

Matthew Nitsch, Director Finance / Treasurer
Peter Frise, Vice President – Policy and Consulting Services, Municipal Tax Equity (MTE) Consultants Inc.

• Recommended Motion:

  “That the Finance and Audit Committee receive Report 2025-039 ‘New Optional Multi-Residential Subclass’ and presentation from Peter Frise of Municipal Tax Equity (MTE) Consultants Inc. for information; and

  Further That the Committee recommend that County Council receive the report and PowerPoint presentation for information.”

8.b

Report 2025-040 '2025 Northumberland County Tax Ratios'

Matthew Nitsch, Director Finance / Treasurer

• Recommended Motion:

  “Whereas County Council is responsible for setting tax policy in Northumberland County using tax ratios; and

  Whereas on February 28, 2023 Peter Frise (from Municipal Tax Equity (MTE) Consultants Inc.) did a presentation to County Council and recommended that the County begin to reduce its multi-residential tax ratio from 2.0 towards the new multi-residential ratio of 1.0; and

  Whereas County Council approved reductions in the multi-residential tax ratio from 2.0 to 1.8 in 2023 and from 1.8 to 1.6 in 2024; and

  Whereas MTE Consultants Inc. continues to recommend that its municipal clients gradually reduce their multi-residential tax ratio towards 1.0 based on the expectation that this change will eventually be legislated; and

  Whereas the Northumberland Treasurers Inter-Municipal Working Group agrees that the County should continue to gradually reduce the multi-residential tax ratio toward the new multi-residential tax ratio of 1.0;

  Now Therefore Be It Resolved That the Finance and Audit Committee, having considered Report 2025-040 ‘2025 Northumberland County Tax Ratios’, recommend that County Council approve a further reduction in the 2025 multi-residential tax ratio from the current 1.6 to 1.4.”

8.c

Report 2025-041 '2024 Audit Planning Report and Audit Engagement Letter'

Matthew Nitsch, Director Finance / Treasurer

• Recommended Motion:

  “That the Finance and Audit Committee, having considered Report 2025-041 ‘2024 Audit Planning Report and Audit Engagement Letter’, recommend that County Council authorize the Warden and Deputy Warden to sign the acknowledgement in the Audit Planning Report on behalf of Northumberland County Council.”

8.d

Report 2025-042 '2024 Council Remuneration and Expenses'

Matthew Nitsch, Director Finance / Treasurer

• Recommended Motion:

  “That the Finance and Audit Committee receive Report 2025-042 ‘2024 Council Remuneration and Expenses’ for information; and

  Further That the Committee recommend that County Council receive this report for information.”

8.e

Report 2025-048 'January 2025 Year-To-Date Financial Results'

Matthew Nitsch, Director Finance / Treasurer

• Recommended Motion:

  “That the Finance and Audit Committee receive Report 2025-048 ‘January 2025 Year-To-Date Financial Results’ for information; and

  Further That the Committee recommend that County Council receive this report for information.”

9.

Other Matters Considered by Committee

10.

Media Questions

11.

Closed Session

N/A

12.

Motion to Rise and Result from Closed Session

N/A

13.

Next Meeting - Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.

14.

Adjournment