House Government Operations & Military Affairs committee approves H 902 to expand Barrie charter powers and allow larger reserve

The House Government Operations & Military Affairs committee on April 17 approved H 902, a bill to accept amendments to the charter of the city of Barrie that would broaden local authority over certain property dispositions and allow the city to increase its surplus reserve from the current 5% up to 10%.

The chair opened the session just before 10:30 a.m. and said H 902 was the committee’s sole item of business. A Representative assigned as the bill’s reporter summarized the measure, telling colleagues it would allow a city manager—or a councilor "duly authorized by action of the city council"—to sell or lease specified city property, and would permit the city to raise the percentage of surplus set aside into a sinking fund from 5% to up to 10% to rebuild reserves that were drawn down during recent floods. "They didn't actually have to borrow any money," the Representative said of the city’s previous use of the sinking fund during flood response.

Committee members asked for clarification about whether the change requires an automatic annual transfer to reach 10% or simply permits the reserve to grow to that level. Members and the reporter agreed the amendment allows the city to increase the reserve to up to 10% but does not, by itself, create a mandatory annual 10% transfer.

A member moved to accept the charter changes "as introduced," the motion was seconded, and the clerk called the roll. The transcript records the following members voting "yes": Representative Boyden; Representative Kauffman; Representative Hendo; Representative Cooper; Senator Morgan; Senator Nugent; Senator Pencile; Senator Spudy; Representative Stone; Senator Gordon Evans; and Senator Byron. The motion carried by recorded vote; no no-votes or abstentions are recorded in the transcript.

The chair concluded with brief scheduling remarks about the afternoon calendar and an open time slot; the transcript contains no further formal action on H 902.

Notes on transcript wording and uncertainties: the committee transcript alternately refers to the affected municipality as the "city of Barrie" and later as the "city of Mary"; this article follows the first name used in the meeting (Barrie) and flags the inconsistency. The transcript also contains a partly garbled phrase describing the property authority; the article summarizes the committee’s stated intent (to permit authorized sale or lease by city officials) without expanding beyond the text of the bill as presented to the committee.

The committee did not, in the recorded transcript, specify further implementation steps or an effective date for the charter amendments.