Budget 2022

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Wednesday evening will mark the start of capital budget deliberations at Shire Hall. For those with a short memory, during the last budget, Council passed a 3.2 per cent increase, meaning County taxpayers paid $41.6 million in property taxes—a $1.3 million increase over the year prior. At the outset of the 2022 budget, staff is proposing an increase of 2.3 per cent. This is before Council makes any changes.

The total proposed 2022 budget is $64.5 million, versus $60.5 million in 2021. This amount is offset by revenue from various sources totalling $21.9 million. Property taxes must fund the outstanding amount of $42.5 million. The total proposed 2022 capital budget is just over $15 million. This is used for repairs, rehabilitation and reconstruction of things the County owns—assets including roads, bridges and buildings. The capital budget is funded from various reserves and reserve funds with the balance funded by grants and debt servicing.

ROAD WORK
The budget forecasts over $11 million to be spent on roads in the County this year. This year’s expenditures total $6.4 million, with the amount collected from ratepayers in this year’s budget at $6,008,391. This is up slightly from the $6 million budgeted in 2021. Some of the larger items are the Picton Main Street revitalization from Bridge Street to Spencer Street at a cost of $2,847,982 , which also receives $1,645,000 in government funding. Other larger projects include the County Road 49 storm sewer extension and Picton east servicing at just over $2 million each. Rural roads will see $2.7 million of work completed. The County will also collect $2,958,214 in Gas Tax funding to be used towards road construction.

WATER WORKS
Budgeting for waterworks—both operating and capital—is tabulated as a separate business. It is entirely funded by consumers through the water bill and by builders through connection charges, rather than property tax payers. This year’s capital budget forecasts over $56 million in spending, most of it for the Wellington treatment plant. A full $47.5 million will be funded by way of up-front financing agreements from residential developers. Wellington would see a new water reservoir at a cost of over $9 million, with nearly $2 million coming from the 2022 budget. It will also start down its path of a $100 million water and wastewater facility design and replacement. This year’s budget sees $24 million spent on the wastewater portion of the facility, and $23 million spent on the water component.

TRUCKS AND SUCH
The County’s fire department is hoping for the approval of a new pumper truck, to match the one purchased last year, at a cost of $397,000. This is part of a plan to replace five 2000 model year fire trucks, which would see the last of these trucks replaced in 2027. As well, the County is looking to replace multiple vehicles this year, including two tandem dump trucks with winter implements at $315,150 each, a land ambulance at $197,000, two half-ton trucks, one three-quarterton truck and three light duty vehicles at a cost of $154,800.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
This year’s capital budget has a host of additional items that could be added and approved should Council choose to do so. If approved, these items would increase the tax levy, and be funded through long-term debt, with annual loan repayments. The total value of the additional options is $17,844,557. One of the largest items is the start of a rehabilitation of County Road 49, from the Skyway Bridge to Fish Lake Road, at an estimated cost of $7,900,000. The annual loan repayment would be $455,100.

County Road 8 is also on the list of additions. There are two options for this stretch of road: with or without bike lanes. The cost would be $3.9 million, and if desired, the cost of the bike lanes would add $707,419

County Road 4 also makes its way onto the list. The estimated cost is $3.5 million, with the option to add bike lanes at a cost of $480,000.

It’s been almost two years since the infamous sand dome on County Road 2 was damaged in a wind storm. Currently, the sand and salt is tarped, in an attempt to keep the weather damage at bay. There is an option to replace the Ameliasburgh storage facility at a cost of $799,557. The estimated annual loan repayment would be $46,000.

The remaining options are a new gravel road grader at a cost of $480,000, a back-up generator for the Wellington and District Community Centre at a cost of $515,000, and fast-tracking the renovations at Picton’s Crystal Palace at a cost of $750,000.

Budget talks are scheduled for the remainder of the week, and can be viewed online at https://bit.ly/LiveStreamPEC. The Times will have a full report on those deliberations in next week’s edition.