By Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
After receiving a more than $487,000 bill for road maintenance next year from Perth County earlier this fall, St. Marys council voted last week not to pay.
During a special meeting of council Dec. 11, councillors discussed the county invoice behind closed doors. After the meeting was opened back up to the public, council unanimously passed a lengthy resolution refuting any factual, legal or equitable basis for St. Marys to pay for a portion of Perth County’s roads and authorized town CAO Brent Kittmer to defend St. Marys from any purported liability for the cost of county roads.
“There was no previous discussion or notice of this invoice,” Mayor Al Strathdee told the Independent. “In my opinion, there was no detailed explanation, calculation model, or rationale attached to the invoice. When the town asked for an explanation of the invoice, it was noted that ‘the invoice was sent with the expectation of payment to avoid provincial involvement and/or court proceedings to mandate payment.’ ”
Strathdee said the added expense would represent a three per-cent increase to St. Marys residents’ property taxes next year. Speaking on behalf of the town, Strathdee argued there is no legal basis, provincial legislation or previous agreement that requires St. Marys residents to foot the bill for regional roads.
“In Perth County, contributions to regional roads appear to occur in exchange for the county’s approval of boundary adjustments,” Strathdee said. “The Town of St. Marys has never had a boundary adjustment approved by Perth County. Roads are infrastructure for the common public good.
“I am extremely disappointed in the county’s actions. This is a further example of their continued approach to dictate, not negotiate, in regional matters. I can point to the most recent example of their announcement of the discontinuation of the county portion of the PC Connect transportation system. It is very unfortunate that there was no regional consultation with the City of Stratford and the Town of St. Marys to try to improve connectivity and somehow save the system. It is very unfortunate that there is a lack of willingness at the Perth County government level to engage in constructive dialogue with regional partners and work together to find creative solutions to enhance our region.”
In a statement sent to the Independent, a representative from Perth County said the county believes a contribution from its regional partners is necessary to ensure costs are fair and equitably distributed among the residents and businesses that benefit from regular use of country roads.
“St. Marys had previously recognized for close to 65 years that it was fair and equitable for it to contribute to these costs,” the county spokesperson said.
According to the county, both St. Marys and Stratford – two municipalities that are located within Perth County but are not part of the county’s two-tier governance system – historically contributed to the cost of county roads through what were known as suburban roads commissions. Through the Stratford Suburban Roads Commission, the city paid a portion of roads costs as far back as 1927, and through the St. Marys Suburban Roads Commissions, the town paid for a portion of county roads costs as far back as 1950.
In 1996 however, the Province of Ontario disbanded suburban roads commissions and gave direction to municipalities in Ontario to reach local solutions rather than having the provincial government impose conditions.
As of 2009, St. Marys discontinued contributing to county roads.
“It has derived the benefit of county roads since then without making any contribution,” the county spokesperson said.
Stratford, meanwhile, continued to pay for a portion of county roads based on a cost-sharing agreement. This year, however, the City of Stratford notified the county by letter it would cease contributing to regional roads at the beginning of 2025 under the terms of a September 2017 boundary roads agreement that expires on Dec. 31, 2024.
In an email to the Independent, Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma said the city is still in negotiations with the county on this matter and he couldn’t yet comment on the decision to cease contributions to the county to share the costs of boundary roads.
The county spokesperson said while the requested roads contribution from St. Marys was not included in its 2025 draft budget, if St. Marys were to pay, it would reduce the county’s current proposed 13.18 per-cent levy increase by 2.2 per cent.
The impact of Stratford ending its regional-roads agreement, however, would be a loss of roughly $2.7 million for the county and would nearly double the current proposed levy increase for 2025, increasing the county levy further by another 12.22 per cent.
This matter has been brought to the attention of Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra who, in a letter to all parties, said he and his staff will work with all three municipalities to find a resolution.
“Industry and residents of Stratford and St. Marys derive a substantial benefit from the county maintaining the surrounding regional roads,” the county spokesperson said. “The county road network is vital to the safe and efficient movement of goods and services, workforce employees and tourists throughout the region, particularly to and from the larger urban centres, including St. Marys and Stratford. The county ensures that its critical road infrastructure and assets are well maintained and managed through maintenance programs and capital projects. Over the past decade, many capital improvement projects and road-safety initiatives have been completed in the surrounding road network of St. Marys and Stratford. These improvements contribute to the overall safety, efficiency and effectiveness of the county road network to the benefit of all road users.
“It is not equitable for Perth County’s taxpayers to be forced to subsidize Stratford and St Marys’ use of the regional roads, by carrying the entire amount of the costs of repairing and maintaining those roads. … Both St. Marys and Stratford previously acknowledged the benefit and need to contribute to the costs of the regional roads. It was acknowledged that the only way residents could get in and out of St. Marys is by using county roads, creating a direct benefit to Stratford and St. Marys, and that there should be some financial commitment from them.”
Given that the county, Stratford and St. Marys all contribute to shared services in the region including paramedic services, social services and Spruce Lodge, the county spokesperson suggested regional roads should be considered a “critical shared service” that requires annual contributions from all partners.
Both Stratford and St. Marys have agreed to work with the minister and his staff on a fair resolution to this issue.