What will the city spend taxpayers' money on this year? Deliberations on the 2024 City Budget are set to kick off tonight.
As ThoroldToday reported, City Hall is projecting a 2.99% net levy increase, if the budget were to be approved as is by City Council.
“This equates to an estimated increase on the City portion of the bill for the average residential home valued at $273,600 of $52,” writes City Hall in a report on the matter.
The draft of the capital budget identifies the major new projects that the city would like to tackle this year, totalling an approximate $25.66M.
On the list are the second phases of the St. Davids Rd reconstruction and the Broderick Ave reconstruction, which would come in at $6.4M and $2.9M respectively.
Lakeview Cemetery is also set to receive some love this year, with the long-awaited renovation of the admin building for $1.3M, and the new cemetery mausoleum at $3M.
Also on the agenda is the urbanization of Port Robinson Rd for $1.3M and the reconstruction of a portion of Decew Rd to the tune of $1.6M.
Another major item included in the capital budget is a fire truck replacement of $1.4M.
When it comes to the city’s operating budget, there’s a heavy focus on new hires.
A recent organizational review identified 24 immediate hires the city would need to make if it wants to meet its population growth rate of 27 per cent.
“In order to mitigate the impact, 21 positions have been included, with varying start dates, and 3 positions deferred, ie. Fleet Supervisor and Cemetery/Parks supervisor; and In-house Legal Counsel,” reads the report.
Some of the positions the city is looking to hire include: an HR coordinator, a procurement officer, an associate director of operations and community services, a special events coordinator, another city planner, parks and public works staff, and two building inspectors.
In order to keep the proposed net levy increase at 2.99%, City Hall suggests deferring several major projects, such as the reconstruction of Sullivan Ave And Clairmont St, the South Main St Bridge in Port Robinson, and the reconstruction of Ross St.
“The inclusion of these items on the list does not mean that staff believe that the items are not important,” reads the City Hall report. “The deferral of capital works may result in further deterioration of the asset, and a more costly repair in the future.”
It will be up to Councillors to decide which projects to prioritize this year.
Tonight's budget deliberations will start at 6:30 p.m., with opening remarks from CAO Manoj Dilwaria, followed by a budget presentation by the Director of Finance Maria Mauro.
Residents can follow along on YouTube, or attend the meeting in person at City Hall.
