Norfolk County Financial Highlights 2010-1012

It's been mentioned that Norfolk Voice is too negative with some of our posts.  It's not that we are negative people.  It's the exact opposite and we're positive that something needs to correct Norfolk County's downward financial spiral.  So many Citizen's of Norfolk email us asking us to provide them with more data so that they can judge for themselves the situation that they face.  Since we too are tax payers in the County don't you also want to know how your money is being spent?



Numbers don't produce untruth's.  They only show you the true picture and some people would rather you didn't see what is really going on.

With Reserve Funds dropping $11,163,340 in 3 short years and 2011 and 2012 showing Net Assets in the red an increase in your tax bill with cuts to services is the current administration's only answer.  Why is that?

Norfolk County Financial Highlights
	2010	2011	2012
Annual Surplus	$10,725,522	$17,175,562	$5,024,228	-53%
Acquisition of Cap Assets	$(47,714,626)	$(33,158,296)	$(27,072,146)	43%
Reserve Funds	$14,183,118	$9,683,220	$3,019,778	-79%
Assets	$98,462,927	$93,680,152	$86,401,758	-12%
Liabilities	$96,442,285	$96,329,997	$91,783,523	-5%
Net Assets (debt)	$20,642	$(2,649,845)	$(5,381,765)	-26172%

Overall Taxes Paid To Norfolk County

2010  $81,390,545
2011  $84,774,121
2012  $85,989,473

Income producing assets are being sold off and Reserve Funds are being depleted to keep the wolves at bay - short term.  Raiding the coffers can only last so long and the interest on those funds have disappeared.  Will the Norfolk County Fire Sale continue so the bills can be paid?  How will the lost revenue from those assets be recouped?

Net Debt is increasing as the County drops in the hole and taxes are being raised but not enough to keep above water.  A large tax increase is coming and services will be cut since the hard decisions are being put off to win another election.

With one of the highest water rates in the Province despite living beside a Great Lake and electricity costs soaring as brown outs continue though out the County the threat to your income is very real.

To maintain the Municipal Costs alone each of the 63,000 residents paid $2,410.49 in 2012.  Fire protection is $72.87 while Policing costs $210.03 each.  Salaries and Benefits cost $58,716,213, almost double the amount as Bruce County paid out.  That's almost 30% of the total budget of Norfolk County and $932 for each resident to cover.  The current administration does not look for efficiencies in it's own departments but prefers to tap your wallet instead.

Did you vote for that negativity?  Think positive, like your next tax bill.