Mayor Christian Provenzano
Volume 1, Edition 1: February 2018
Connecting with our community
Welcome to the first edition of the
Mayor’s Office Update. This online
monthly publication provides an oppor-
tunity to communicate with members of
our community, and inform people
about what is going on in our city.
There is no question Sault Ste. Marie has
challenges to face. I’m a firm believer in
developing a plan to address such chal-
lenges. A comprehensive plan is crucial
to ensuring our city’s actions are im-
pactful. The Community Adjustment
Waving Flags
Committee final report offers a frank
look at the state of our city and identifies year ago and the committee produced a
a path forward.
We undertook this initiative during a
period of significant economic uncertain-
ty, and our community leaders wanted
Creating opportunities for our youth
I had the opportunity to attend the offi-
cial grand opening of St. Basil Catholic
to develop a plan focused on addressing
root causes behind the situation we were
in. The issues facing our city’s largest
employer were not, and are not, the only
challenges to deal with. Our population
has declined since the 1980s, our median
age exceeds the provincial average, our
death rate is outpacing our birth rate and
not enough of our young community
members are staying in the community.
As a means to begin the process of ad-
dressing these challenges, our city
moved forward with the CAC just over a
final report. The full report is available on
the FutureSSM website and I encourage
people to review it. Included in the re-
port are several recommendations and
areas to address.
Elementary School this winter. This pre-
sented me with the opportunity for one
of my favourite aspects of being the
Mayor; meeting with our city’s youth.
Engaging with young students puts
things into perspective. Listening to and
talking with students always leaves me
optimistic about what they will accom-
plish and motivated to ensure they see a
place for themselves here.
We want our city to be the place where
March 2018
Economic diversification was the most
substantial priority identified by stake-
holders. Community and economic de-
velopment is one of the key areas of con-
cern that has experienced a significant
refocusing since the release of the re-
port.
The city has taken a more proactive role
through the creation of a community
development and enterprise division. I
often speak about a holistic approach
when it comes to community and eco-
nomic development, and I feel this de-
partment reflects this approach. It will
play a significant role in the implementa-
tion of CAC recommendations, which
moves forward this year, and I will be
updating the community throughout the
process.
our youth accomplish great things.
The Community Adjustment Com-
mittee’s work has helped shape a path
for us.
The past few years haven’t been easy
and we still have significant challenges
to address, but I’m confident better days
are ahead.
I’m confident we’ve laid the groundwork
for future growth. I’m confident my two
young daughters will be able to spend
their lives in the place they were born.
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 Breaking down the budget

Find out more about With the city’s budget approved for this year, From a 1.29% increase in 2016, to 1.04% in
your city’s budget I want to provide further clarification about 2017 and now 0.99% in 2018, we are com-
our situation and the process which has mitted to keeping municipal spending increas-
helped lead members of council to this point. es at a reasonable level.
Preliminary budget The chart included above post breaks down For some people, any increase is difficult to
the significant numbers behind the final total. manage, and this is something I can appreci-
How property taxes are
The external category represents funding we ate. For people living on a tight budget or a
calculated
provide to help boards and agencies operate. pension extra money to cover an increase is
BMA Management Examples include our two local school boards hard to come by.
Consulting 2017 Study and Algoma Public Health. Part of our responsibility as members of coun-
The surplus/reserve category represents an cil is to look at the budget presented by city
increase or decrease in taxes collected that is staff and find areas where savings can be
set aside as surplus or reserve. This past fall, achieved. I feel members of council are now
council approved a new policy directing any able to perform this task more effectively.
surplus funds to a tax stabilization reserve and During this council term, we have driven im-
a capital reserve, along with reduction of the portant budgetary changes. We now budget
city's long term debt. Ultimately, the policy is earlier in the year, with presentations and
designed to lower the burden on taxpayers. discussions about city departments/outside
Get in touch with your The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund agencies beginning back in March.
Mayor (OMPF) grant is another factor in this process. This new process ensures members of council
Mayor’s Office The city’s share for the coming year is have access to a quality information, which
99 Foster Drive, 4th Floor $15,455,200. The year-to-year fluctuation of helps us make decisions about the budget. It
705-759-5344 this grant is out of our control, but dealing
Mayor.Provenzano is a process we now have more influence
@cityssm.on.ca with the fallout remains our responsibility. over.
For example, if the city’s OMPF grant is re-
duced by $1 million next year, this is $1 mil- Moving forward, I’m confident we’ve devel-
oped an effective system to handle the city’s
lion we need to account for.
budget. This does not mean we’ve come up
So, considering I’ve outlined what is out of with a perfect plan not in need of tweaking on
council’s control (such as OMPF grant and an ongoing basis, but I do feel we now have a
portions of agency funding) I want to get to solid foundation.
what council does have a significant say on – Responsible decisions have put us in a posi-
city spending. tion to come up with long term solutions ra-
Stay in touch on
Social media Spending is an issue this council has worked ther than short term fixes. The McMeeken
hard to reign in. Public spending of your tax Arena situation is an example of this. An ice
@MayorProvenzano dollars needs to be reflective of the economic utilization study has identified the need for a
reality facing tax payers. However, there is a twin pad arena. Council has directed staff to
balance we need to maintain. There are ser- look at all options. When it comes time to
@CCProvenzano
vices our city provides; from snow removal, to make a decision, I’m confident will be no ob-
garbage collection, to maintenance of local stacles preventing us from making the most
roads and public transportation. We want to prudent choice.
@Mayor.Provenzano ensure we are providing an appropriate level
of service, while keeping your final tax rate
reasonable.

2
 Keeping up with City Council
City Council meetings span hours and cover a Supporting Sault Area Hospital’s plans –
Monthly community
wide variety of topics, so I am turning to this Council has unanimously supported SAH’s
events
newsletter as a means to provide people brief funding applications to the North East Local
updates about what their councillors and city Health Integration Network’s for more long-
staff are working on. Included in this page is a term care beds and create a Level III Residen-
run-down of some of what came before tial Withdrawal Management Service program
council in February. and facility. The need for both plans is great,
as outlined in a presentation to council. The
Update on FutureSSM progress - The Com-
Algoma region has a higher than provincial
munity Development Roundtable is close to
average number of emergency department
being finalized. The subgroups are as follows:
visits in relation to opioids, the hospital’s cur-
Health Sector, Education/Workforce, Down-
rent detoxification is more than 40 years old
town Development, Economic Diversity/
and no longer suitable. In terms of long-term
Growth, Social Equity, Arts/Culture and Ener-
care beds, community capacity is way below
gy/Entertainment. We are pulling together
need and the percentage of our population
members our community to identify opportu-
over the age of 75 continues to grow. SAH
nities to improve the aforementioned areas,
wants to establish a long-term-care facility
and then we will act. I am optimistic a major
and support services built on its current
project will result from this group’s work.
property.
Shape the Sault – The City’s Planning Services
New MOUs for SSMEDC and SSMIC – Council
and Enterprise Services department has
has approved a new Memorandum of Under-
launched a new official plan project, called
standings for the Economic Development Cor-
Shape the Sault. The City’s current plan was
poration and Innovation Centre. The MOUs
written more than 20 years ago, and a new
better outline the expectations of council,
plan represents the opportunity to articulate
along with the roles and responsibilities of
our plan for the next two decades. The pro-
both agencies. I am confident the agreements
ject’s main goal is to develop a plan that re-
will further our productive working relation-
flects a shared community vision, and com-
ship. I feel the City has a role to play in eco-
munity members are being asked to submit
nomic development, and it is incumbent upon
suggestions online, on social media or at open
us to bring people in our community together
houses. It is a chance for the public to let the
to address opportunities and better compete
City know about what they want to see in-
against other municipalities.
cluded in the plan. For example, if you want
to see more bike trails or farmers’ markets, A new shopping centre – Council has ap-
you can have an impact on shaping our what proved a re-zoning application for a proposed
our community looks like. shopping centre to be built on Great Northern
Road. The portion of the site in question has
Looking into a plan for privatization of the been re-zoned from highway zone to shop-
Essar Centre - City staff have been asked to ping centre commercial zone and part of the
report back to council with examples of other land has been re-designation from industrial
Invite the Mayor to your similar sized municipalities with a similar facil- to commercial. The land has been mostly va-
ity being operated privately and what pro- cant for two decades, and the project put
event
cess/time line would be required for council forward by local businessman Ben Pino will
Request a greeting see a centre comprised of a grocery store,
to consider the option of private management
pharmacy and other commercial space possi-
of the Essar Centre. Kingston has contracted
Mayor’s Blog bly including a restaurant. About 100 jobs are
with a private management company to run expected to be created and it is expected to
Rogers K-Rock Centre, and the City is guaran- open in 2019.
teed 100% of the first $550,000 of profit.