Survey-Comments-AMP

Survey respondents’ comments on Tiny’s asset management plan

1. It requires competent “MANAGEMENT”! We seriously lack competence in this administration! GET THEM OUT!!!!!!
2. We should be putting our tax dollars towards our water and septic issues instead of this ridiculous Taj Mahal!
3. Time for a new council that cares about the taxpayers.
4. This is a democracy. How do we get rid of them?
5. Progressive thinking …
6. Needs better data and more realistic assumptions before proposing a tax rate for two decades. Taxpayers are strapped and everything possible needs to be done to keep costs down. It’s time to revisit what is needed versus what is wanted when future budgets are prepared. Compensation for township employees should have a variable component tied into cost savings.
7. Push for provincial oversight. Be sure to include Doug Downey as you push. Again, a full review is needed. Malfeasance?
8. Get your finances in order before thinking about spending money they don’t have!!!!!!!!!!!!
9. THE PRESENT COUNCIL HAS FORGOTTEN WHO THEY ARE WORKING FOR.
10. I’d like to comment on income generating vs. tax increases. Why don’t you actually uphold the by- laws and regulations and tickets hundreds of drivers exceeding 40 on TBRS, the ATV drivers, those leaving possessions on beach overnight, etc.? The speed on TBRS is out of hand and one weekend could generate thousands of $$$ and perhaps save a life.
11. We need to focus on sewage treatment and water not building a mega centre!
12. Tiny residents pay the lowest taxes of any of the nearby townships. On a dollar basis our taxes will not increase a lot. The biggest issue here is how it is being handled. There is a committee that the public is invited to sit on and FoTTSA should ensure they have good representation on that committee.
13. The council is not heeding the wishes of the taxpayers.
14. Absolutely no foresight of this council.
15. There is no need for a referendum. We elect the officials to do a job on our behalf and if we don’t like them we unelect them so if folks are unhappy they should blame themselves for collectively electing them.
16. Many intelligent residents would enjoy the opportunity to offer input into the AMP; however, being asked to do so by the administration is a very different story. The administration is being run autocratically, not democratically. The number of services and programs being offered by Tiny have been rising rapidly. The Corporation of the Township of Tiny cannot unilaterally make decisions
17. without professional advice and giving an opportunity for residents to respond. After all, it is residents’ money that is being spent.
18. Are these councillors so irresponsible and so lacking of public trusteeship that they should be thrown out of office? Hire some powerful knowledgeable lawyers to begin proceedings to force them out of office?! Do they know what the words husbandry and trusteeship mean? Do they know what democracy means?
19. Septage and protection of our water from further development of gravel pits are on the back burner. These should be priorities. Roads and culverts and drainage should also be priorities long before we consider building a new town admin building.
20. Current council is a clown show.
21. This council is being directed to deal with these projects and debts and have forgotten who they are supposed to represent. Well, 4 out of 5 anyway.
22. I think we need better people on council. I think there was only one councillor who indicated that more study and public input was required before proceeding with the build of the new administrative building. Members of council are supposed to be working for the citizens who elected them and instead seem to be ignoring our concerns and pushing forward with a project that will situate them in fancy new offices while residents foot the bill for years to come.
23. Stop wasting money. Too many people, too little responsibility. I fully support the plan but have no sense that Tiny Council is taking the tax implications into account as it tries to ram through a new administrative centre. Council may claim to be acting in our best interests but I’m definitely not feeling it.
24. The Township awarded a contract in August 2023 to have all facilities reviewed for the asset management plan, yet the results have never been presented to Council or made public.
25. Appropriately addressing and managing the asset management plan EACH YEAR is more important than building a palace. Council is far too secretive.
26. I believe the current council are totally not doing their job in the interests of keeping taxes down and affordable. They should be replaced with competent workers who know the job!!
27. The overall poor and very poor amounts are $133 million, but that will change because Marshall Co. that is doing the reports is not done. But it is still going to be a lot of money!
28. The Township seems unaware of good financial planning, especially for a community. Clearly if we are already running a deficit after the recent tax increases how can we afford a new administration centre at such a high cost?
29. Transparency, transparency, transparency.
30. Your group is known for being anti-Council. What I would like to see are questions like this on the interim shoreline by-law! We need a new council that is realistic to our situation.
31. Not allowing taxpayer input, not enough transparency.
32. The cost of anything that the government does always ends up more.

32. Never before have we had to deal with such an incompetent council.
33. Replace the mayor and deputy mayor and a few councillors …
34. We the people are not against our council. We voted for them! We want to work with them. They must be more transparent and they must speak truth in laymen’s terms. No more word salads from our leaders.
35. I voted for 4 out of the 5. Sad and disappointed. What happened?
36. What a mess! Tiny taxpayers cannot handle this depth of funding shortfalls. We may be the lowest paying taxes around, but we also don’t have SERVICES! And most of the population, excluding a small amount of affluent residents, will have difficulty managing more property tax debt without very serious financial difficulty. Year-round residents are heavily represented by seniors on fixed income and young families struggling to make it paycheque to paycheque, with heavy debt loads. I am extremely concerned about these two groups.
37. Most irresponsible behaviour by politicians I’ve ever seen.
38. The roads are dangerous to use as motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. The poor attempt to fill potholes does not improve the situation; in fact, the tons of small loose stone without signage is more dangerous. In making the attempt I believe the Township acknowledges the issue and leaves themselves liable for when a severe accident occurs.
39. Installing water meters may reduce consumption but will it reduce costs after we pay for the meter installation and associated administration?
40. We must not run a deficit. We are too small, being Tiny Township, to incur a big debt.
41. Let’s deal with septic issues; that’s far more important.
42. This inexperienced council does not have the requisite skills to understand budgeting for projects or our much-needed priority services. Their term in office will not be a good story for themselves or the good people of Tiny.
43. I pay absurd taxes for a seasonal residence. I am on shallow water. Well, a septic system, and I pay for private road clearing. This council will not be re-elected.
44. We need a referendum!!!
45. There is no viable asset management plan. The concept of like-for-like replacement of assets requires implementation.
46. Stop whining and get out of the way. Totally against the build. Tiny does not manage their assets, choosing only to repair when necessary and even then under duress. Prime example is the state of our roads.
47. I am concerned that the Township will not be prepared to address the future need for septage … with no reserve funds being set aside in advance. Stop in-camera sessions on this subject. Our elected officials need to act with full transparency.

48. To be clear, I have no opinion about this council. What I do know is they are facing the same tax increases. I have to believe they are making sound decisions on fact-based data provided by staff. We need to have a referendum!!!!!! When is the next Tiny election, lol.
49. No one is qualified to make these plans.
50. Have more money in your accounts first before getting in further debt.
51. Why so many Tiny white trucks driving around looking for something to do all summer?
52. One public boat launch for all of Tiny Township shoreline sums things up.
53. As a senior I have owned seasonal and permanent homes over fifty years. Tiny is the worst leadership and municipal government I have encountered as a property owner and taxpayer in Ontario (Toronto and Tiny), Quebec (Montreal and Laurentians), USA (Philadelphia) and Italy (Calabria). Tiny Council and staff managers do not understand property owners are the paying customer and they have supreme rights and the bad service is due mostly due to righteous attitude and inexperienced leadership and some staff. Other communities where I have owned property have created thriving communities by understanding and leveraging advantages of a country environment, tourist economy, local businesses, cultural diversity, needs of seasonal and permanent populations, to name a few. Tiny has lost focus on – infrastructure, e.g., Midland waste, roads, septic, water etc.
    – environment: E. coli beach water, loss of trees, city-like lawns, increased lot coverage, to name a few
    – community: complete ignorance of the needs of a young and senior seasonal and permanent population, library membership mess, short-term rental witch hunt, etc.
    – culture of township leadership created dismissive, divisive and disrespectful behaviour, especially dealing with by-law and building department.
54. Ask me how I really feel! Worst governance in a jewel location quickly being destroyed environmentally, affordably and culturally. I wrote my councillor about my concerns and found his response to be very condescending.
55. Tiny needs to do infrastructure projects that are necessary, not a new glass admin building! Tiny needs a septage disposal system and road repairs, not a new municipal building that costs more / office space than other admin centres elsewhere and more than the price / student desk in local classrooms. Everyone has to make choices and can’t get everything on their wish list when funds aren’t available. Tiny needs to stop and reassess with public input by constituents who want more than two minutes to address only the public space in a building that they don’t want or need.
56. While I hate the idea of taxes increasing, I don’t live under a rock. It’s naive to think that taxes aren’t going to increase as our expectations for faster and better services have also increased. We are no longer just a cottage community.
57. Disastrous. Incompetence both CAO and Council except for one councillor, Brunelle. The mayor and Council have not handled the important items they had in their election platforms instead are pushing ahead with this unnecessary build. We need to maintain and improve our current services (waste, water, roads) that are far behind our needs. It is incomplete and needs further work for assets not yet assessed in sufficient detail. i.e., buildings.

58. It was clear during the election that this council would raise taxes. They were voted in, in a fair election. I did not vote for them but respect the process and will ride it out hoping the next election is different.
59. If a person doesn’t live in Tiny Township, they should not be on Council making decisions about Tiny Township taxpayers’ money. They should all be removed from office and a caretaker administration installed until a new election takes place. Again, I feel, this is not an unbiased survey.
60. FoTTSA is a sham!!!!
61. We cannot trust them due to blatant lies from them!
62. We have to remember we voted this council in. Similar to the Feds and province, we have our say come election time.
63. They do not seem to understand sound, responsible management and their RESPONSIBILITY.
64. This is not good planning from our council.
65. All I know is that my taxes have already gone up, the services that are provided have not changed and we have to take our big garbage to the dump and pay additional charges.
66. What’s the plan for handling septage when we don’t have access to Midland’s facility?
67. This council is doing what the previous council should have done.
68. The Tiny Council and the administration do not have my trust. They are not transparent with how and where they spend tax dollars. I would like to see a detailed breakdown of staff costs, benefits, pay levels, and the like.
69. Nobody likes to pay higher taxes but you get what you pay for. Our taxes have been low for many years. No wonder the Township has a deficit if taxes don’t reflect the cost of maintaining infrastructure and public works.
70. I don’t think they have a plan except to keep raising taxes.
71. Needs to be expert advisers and open public meetings.
72. Again, this is a preposterous foolhardy thing to do and I am surprised at the council for even considering such a thing. What they are doing is going to break Tiny Township for years to come. How can they even consider this is beyond me. It’s utterly preposterous. And dangerous.
73. What a scary mess!
74. The decisions of this council are irresponsible. They do not represent the needs of the community, like how to handle sewage and keep our water clean.
75. When you have low property taxes with no big raising of taxes for many years, then eventually it’s going to all happen at once, which is what’s happening now. I don’t know what to say. I hate paying taxes but how else are they going to pay for the services that we need?
76. We are very disappointed our council, along with our staff, do not have their priorities in order. The staff should know what needs are to be addressed first, so both council and staff should be held accountable. Let’s live within our means, plan for the future, and understand the limitations of a small, rural community. We all have wish lists, but reality comes first.

77. At one point I was very supportive of Tiny’s administration. However, I am increasingly becoming uneasy because it doesn’t seem like Council is listening to constituents. It also seems like Council isn’t cooperating with each other in order to find viable solutions to issues. This increasing unease leads to more mistrust of any asset management plan.
78. It is a very poor plan.
79. 4 of the 5 councillors need to removed from office immediately.
80. I feel that this council doesn’t not want any input from resident’s concerns.
81. Need clarity and accountability from council.
82. We need to keep our water meters analog. No smart meters, no extra costs to us.
83. Very concerned over the ambitions and abilities of this council.
84. The mess Tiny and its assets are in now is due to inaction of previous councils.
85. We need a referendum, to be put forward to the people who are expected to pay for this!
    We did not vote this council in to go forward with this at all. Only after they were installed did they come up with this huge tax increase idea, and we all know that the people CANNOT AFFORD this!
86. The percentage increases listed here are very misleading. Annual rates should be used, which is 0.22%.
87. With many luxury properties on water commanding above average realty taxes don’t understand why Tiny has a deficit in the accounts!!
88. Our mayor, deputy mayor and two out of the three councillors could screw up a one-car funeral!!
89. They are spending like money is limitless. This debt will cripple Tiny. Focus on figuring out the septic waste management (spraying waste on fields doesn’t count as a viable solution), focus on fixing roads and infrastructure. Focus on preventing private ownership of our beaches as every property owner deserves to utilize the beaches. Focus on protecting green spaces.
90. Spending an extra 5% for next 10 to 20 years is better than 15 to 20% per year and the outrage from the same taxpayers for totally crumbling infrastructure in 5 to 10 years. It’s the old Fram oil filter situation, “Pay me now or pay me later.”
91. The asset management plan is in the hands of unqualified and incompetent managers.
92. People (CONSTITUENTS/TAXPAYERS) are hurting financially, suffering under the pressures of inflation and higher interest rates. Adding a massive partially known and partially selectively disclosed tax burden at this time and committing to long-term debt of historical magnitude is sheer ignorance or arrogance or a dangerous combination of both.
93. It sounds like we need a NEW COUNCIL that will handle all of the financial aspects of Tiny in a more strategic manner. The water fees just went up drastically within the past two years. Perhaps they should consider water meters instead of just an increase across all taxpayers. That way those who use the water will be charged accordingly. Many more pools have been built in Tiny recently. Should they not be paying more for their water usage?

94. Train wreck asset management plan. Blow everything and not “save for a rainy day” was not how my parents raised me.
95. Long overdue.
96. We … the ones you are forcing to pay for this building cannot afford it! You can’t even fix our roads … Farlain Lake Rd. has been nothing but huge holes for years … Balm Beach area all the roads in there huge potholes and none of it is fixed or you throw a little bit of gravel down. How about in winter? The only place I’ve ever seen sand put down was on the corners of the roads not on the entire road … I don’t know how many times my vehicle, being a 4 x 4, lost control because the roads were pure ice, and there was no sand put on the road only on the corners and not a lot the bare minimum amount of sand that barely did anything and yet you want to spend all these millions on a building that you don’t need and that none of us want or are ok with?!???!! The money you’re using is OUR hard-earned money …. so we should have the say!!! You’ve also implemented all these new AirBnB rules for Tiny Township that are absolutely disgusting and unfair. Turnover every six days???? How is that fair???? How does that fix any problem???? Plus, it should match the same rules for Penetang and Midland and every township should be the same and have the same rules. People rent cottages because the government bankrupted so many people with the Covid scam and people can’t afford vacations So they have to vac in Ontario and Tiny is full of Airbnbs which people are grateful for because they can’t afford to buy their own cottage. And that’s another thing … People have to rent out their cottages in order to save them because once again COVID bankrupted so many people and so many small businesses and put so many people out of work and so many people broke! You should be encouraging people to come to Tiny and use the Airbnb, not try and cut them all out because only the rich deserve them and deserve to use them! Disgusting!!!
97. Maintain existing assets before acquiring new ones.
98. It is very difficult to provide the guarantees requested in the variable world. We have been significantly cheaper as a municipality and this has come at a cost. It may be time to pay up for the services we as residents are requesting.
99. Out of control!!
100. I think both sides can do a better job of friendly communication.
101. They should create a realistic plan that accounts for likely growth and the deteriorating infrastructure.
102. Full transparency should be shared. Too many Gals hiding facts and figures.
103. Tiny’s asset management plan is ridiculous. Council has my full support. While they don’t always get everything correct, they are doing their best.
104. Deal with what needs to be done before you proceed with what you feel would be nice. Most of all, be honest. Reveal what taxpayers have already told you.
105. Need to get David Evans and his neighbour Sean out of this council. No clue how to run a business or let alone a township. I am very concerned that some residents will have inadequate supply of drinking water.

106. If Midland does not provide water and other services who will? We need to sort out the essentials from an overall reaction.
107. Taxpayers first should be Council’s mandate.
108. I’d have answered more questions different if that wasn’t the most biased thing I’ve answered. I was taking it serious until page 2.
109. The council need to listen to the people who live here. Cottagers worked hard to drive down taxes for the last few councils. Like Toronto this has led to an inability to maintain and service which now means increased taxes. All infrastructure in this country is coming to the end of its life and I find the whiny adults wanting to not pay their share and pass the buck irresponsible.
110. Who are these people making these financial decisions? Do any of them have any knowledge of basic economics? All these tax increases for what? Garbage and snow removal, I think not!!! I have been in Tiny Township for 50 years and only this year have they paved our local roads. Previously the process was to just throw gravel in the potholes and all over the road, where you destroyed your car’s paint job when driving on these roads. Where is our tax money going??????????
111. Council and definitely many senior Tiny employees do not have the experience or capabilities to make the judgments required to run the Township in a financially responsible manner. I don’t pay for water so I don’t follow the costing.
112. Inflation happens. Pensions are indexed to inflation. Life goes on.
113. We’ll be paying even more than they’re telling us.
114. There is no need to spend all this money (and go into further debt) at a time when people are struggling with putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their head. How can they justify these increases to people on fixed incomes, especially seniors who have lived here for many years? Totally irresponsible.
115. Fix the roads! Water should be #1, not a new building!
116. This needs to be properly prioritized over spending on a new admin building!
117. We need to know more about all these major financials which we taxpayers will have to pay for in the long term! We need to know more!
118. Please do not install smart water metering systems!
119. We had an 11% increase IN OUR TAXES recently. Toronto is balking at a 3% increase after years of no or little increases and the citizens are freaking out. Toronto has many, many services – we have very few.
120. How has the Township come to run a $6 million deficit? Is this a mismanagement of funds?
121. A better name would be “asset mismanagement plan.” The township must have been aware that they didn’t have the tax base to support such grandiose plans, yet they still went ahead with it. The whole process has been totally opaque, and their attitude towards the residents has been totally unprofessional. Not only will the total tax increases be prohibitive for some current residents, many of whom are seniors on a fixed income, it will also have a huge impact on the housing market. An area which attracted buyers due to its beauty and affordability will not have the same appeal when property taxes are close to, or even higher than the cities they live in. Oh, and for fewer services! It’s pure insanity. A capital plan that would never pass muster in the private sector. I am very concerned that current council is working on personal agendas as opposed to the municipal Again, I believe a new building is required but I think the proposal is ludicrous. A reasonable building that offers current and future needs. Unfortunately, the Township is 30 years behind in its planning.

122. An independent professional assessment must be made of Tiny’s asset management plan.
123. If the Township needs to catch up on asset maintenance and potential replacement, that needs to be done to meet provincial requirements as well as providing Tiny residents with timely maintenance/replacement so that residents and staff feel safe using the township facilities, e.g., roads, park facilities, water systems and township buildings, vehicles, etc. Unfortunately, this council has little or no concern for the ratepayers of tiny and seem to only be beholden to one special interest group.
124. Need to get informed of upcoming issues directly from Tiny Township well in advance by mail or email. They only seem to send out minimal correspondence with tax bills. There should be additional communication throughout the year. Perhaps emailing would be best to save time in printing and distributing correspondence.
125. It’s outrageous that Tiny’s council is making these decisions regardless of taxpayer input and feedback. Don’t build a costly extravagant palace when our infrastructure is in need of attention. Get back to basics, needs vs. wants. This council is buying fancy seat covers for the car, but the check engine lights are on, there’s rust holes all over and the gas tank leaks!
126. Property taxpayers in Tiny already pay fees which seem egregious as compared to other jurisdictions. We own a home in Oakville, Ontario which has a similar market value to our Tiny property. The property taxes are substantially less, despite have extra services furnished. Given Tiny’s lack of industrial base, this makes some sense. However, the planned increases on already super-premium tax rates are of serious concern.
127. The water issues are underprojected. The new subdivisions along the waterfront are going to be a source of huge problems in future. With regards to water and sewer and beach rights. It has been unreasonable to add so much housing without sewage capacity. Former councils are to blame for this as well as the province. Poor planning in Tiny, now the public will pay the costs.
128. I am willing to support the future of Tiny and its growth.
129. This type of financial mismanagement will cause hardship on generations to come.
130. Council forgets who they work for. They should be “impeached.”
131. Critical Infrastructure costs that impact Tiny residents may require reasonable tax increases to accomplish. However, this does not include a “Taj Mahalesque” administrative building. Tiny residents have lost faith in this council to successfully navigate a fiscally responsible solution to backlogged infrastructure projects when their negligence is on full view with the admin building proposal. Septage treatment and library costs are softball problems that should have been handled easily yet even the simple ones cannot be handled effectively. These councillors and the mayor are not meeting the level of managerial ability required for the job.

132. Their asset management plan is extremely alarming. You cannot expect the taxpayers to fund a project they do not support. At this time when the township cannot maintain their infrastructure and address the sewage/septage needs you cannot commit to a $20+ million new building. Now is not the time.
133. These clueless fools will for sure be voted out at the next election.
134. How can the township spend money they do not have?
135. Don’t trust this council.
136. No trust in this council. They never ran on this and did not inform the public, i.e., the taxpayers!
137. The Tiny council cannot keep up with road maintenance at the best of times. We need more streetlights on some of the key roads and/or intersections. Can you tell me that stuff like these items are going to be done with a larger office or new boardroom? Not bloody likely. Do you really think they care about any ideas that come from the taxpayers, who pay for their incomes? No!! A large workplace will NOT make a difference. You can quote me on all of this subject.
138. The earlier we the taxpayers right this badly listing ship the more chance we create better situations for our constituents and I believe if this goes unchecked there is an increasing likelihood that it cannot or will not be fixable at all.
139. Let them do their jobs and cut them some slack. Tiny residents have benefited from lower than average tax rates for years. Time to play catch up.
140. Where are considerations for septage management – given this flaming problem and a plan and cost to properly implement which is all very necessary now!
141. Is there an ongoing operating/administration deficit? Does this cause the deferral of capital projects (and thus increase the back log of capital projects)? Unclear but very concerning!
142. We need a new council to control overspending and manage our assets in a more responsible way, a council who will put the township and ratepayers first and not themselves.
143. Find ways to become more efficient!!
144. I became aware because they destroyed a long-standing agreement with Penetang and Midland for library services. It is devastating.
145. This is not the time to be raising taxes, when people are struggling to keep their homes.
146. We need to see evidence of fiscal responsibility (thus far lacking) on Council’s part and greater transparency in its handling of asset management issues. If those managing our assets can’t do so in a financially responsible manner they should find another job they are better equipped for.