The single most important issue facing Essa Township today is the retention of its staff.
Without a full complement of personnel working together to tackle the challenges the municipality faces over the next few years, the odds of accomplishing everything on council’s strategic plan for 2022-26 are not stacked in the municipality's favour.
Like Springwater and Oro-Medonte townships, Essa is facing a huge staffing challenge. Existing staff are facing burnout because they have to do their jobs as well as cover vacant roles.
The lack of applicants is also perplexing. Essa employees earn competitive salaries, have employer paid dental benefits and will be enrolled in the OMERS pension plan.
“To tell you the truth, we can’t figure it out,” said Colleen Healey-Dowdall, Essa's chief administrative officer. “These are good jobs and Essa is a great place to live and work.”
According to Healey-Dowdall, the township experiences the same two hurdles almost every time they advertise an open position: a lack of resumes and not enough qualified candidates.
Healey-Dowdall admits it’s frustrating and she's concerned about the effect a lack of staff will have on accomplishing Essa’s second top priority, which is replacing its aging infrastructure.
“A lot of Ontario’s infrastructure was constructed and expanded around the same time and we’re all now facing the challenge of our infrastructure needing repair — whether it's roads, bridges, water or wastewater systems,” she said. “We need to ensure those projects are on track and on time.”
Infrastructure projects are costly and time-consuming.
Essa initiated an environmental assessment of the Angus water system this year and plans to expand it next year with completion targeted for 2025. The cost is pegged at $15 million.
When that project is finished, the township will initiate an environmental assessment for the expansion of the Angus wastewater treatment facility. The price tag for that expansion is also $15 million.
“In order to have the growth council has decided is appropriate for Essa, we need our water system to be expanded and then the wastewater treatment plant comes next,” Healey-Dowdall said.
Essa’s population has increased about 30 per cent since 2006, from 17,600 then to more than 22,000 this year, and that growth is putting pressure on every aspect of the township’s services — from policing and fire services to recreation and libraries.
With a limited budget — 2023’s tax levy will generate almost $11 million — council needs to prioritize their spending to ensure the best value for taxpayers.
“This is where council comes into play,” she said. “They were elected to put forward the priorities of the people.”
According to Healey-Dowdall, every Essa Township councillor is bombarded with calls from residents concerned with vehicles speeding in their neighbourhood, making road safety and improvement another top priority.
“If we carry out road improvements, the roads will become safer,” she said. “Whether it’s paving our gravel roads or improving intersections with lighting or better visibility, it's really all about making the roads safer.”
Council’s strategic plan for 2022-26 has two other priorities, including recreational programming and communications. How much council dedicates to either will likely depend on what council spends on its other priorities.
“It’s a difficult decision, and it’s our council’s decision, but they do try to sprinkle a little bit here, there and everywhere for everybody. But at the same time, there’s really only so much available to go around,” Healey-Dowdall said.
“We try to provide the biggest bang for the buck that we can.”
