At its general committee meeting on Monday night (December 2), Peterborough city council voted to defer final approval of the city’s complete draft 2025 budget for almost two months.
The draft budget was originally scheduled to be approved at the December 9th council meeting.
However, after two days of budget deliberations on November 18 and 19 resulted in a property tax hike of eight per cent rather than the draft budget’s proposed 7.8 per cent increase, council asked staff to report back with additional options for reduced spending and increased revenues to reduce the tax hike to seven per cent.
At Monday night’s meeting, councillor Dave Haacke brought forward a motion to convene a general committee meeting on Monday, January 20th to review the options prepared by city staff, also proposing that final budget approval take place at council’s February 3rd meeting.
As part of his motion, Haacke proposed council immediately approve $37,671,700 in expenditures in the 2025 budget for 30 capital projects, along with user fees and charges in the 2025 budget as well as the housing and homelessness 2025 operating budgets.
The biggest-ticket items on the list of 30 capital projects include $10.58 million for Brealey Drive reconstruction from Lansdowne Street to Sherbrooke Street, $5.5 million for the pavement preservation program, and $3 million for Television Road reconstruction over South Meade Creek.
Haacke amended his original motion to include the $500,000 Tree Removal By-Law Planting Program pending grant approval, with council voting to approve the amendment. A full list of the capital projects is provided below.
“All of these are time sensitive,” said Raymond Freymond, the city’s commissioner of finance and corporate support services. “We want to get the tenders out on the street in anticipation, prior to early in the new year, before February 3. We want to get good bids from the marketplace.”
“As well as we want to ensure that the draft user fees that are encompassed in the budget highlights book are also approved by January 1st, as well as any additional budget provisions for homelessness and the shelters … it’s very important that, given the cold weather that will be upon us, to make sure that we have provided for our shelters.”
In response to a question from councillor Keith Riel, Freymond was unable to advise how much of a property tax increase the expenditures represent, although he noted the 30 capital projects are only a portion of the city’s entire $147 million capital budget (25 per cent), and the housing and homelessness budget is “not that much in the big scheme of things” when it comes to the city’s entire $411-million operating budget.
Freymond said he would provide council with the requested information for the December 9 council meeting.
As for Mayor Jeff Leal, he said the “extended timeframe” for the 2025 budget approval would give city staff time to identify options to help reduce the property tax increase.
“We’ve heard the word efficiencies used over and over, and over and over, and over again, so they will be engaged in that process,” he said.
Council voted unanimously to approve Haacke’s amended motion. Items endorsed by general committee on will be considered for final approval at the regular city council meeting on Monday (December 9).
List of capital projects approved
Brealey Drive – Lansdowne Street to Sherbrooke Street – $10,580,000
Pavement Preservation Program – $5,500,000
Television Road over South Meade Creek – $3,000,000
Road Surface Repair Program – $2,300,000
Lansdowne Street Rehabilitation – Park Street to Otonabee River – $2,000,000
Sanitary Sewer (Relining, Renew & Repair) – $1,425,000
CCTV Inspection of Sewers – $1,350,000
Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation – $1,100,000
Storm Sewer Rehabilitation Program – $1,100,000
Municipal Snow Storage Facility ECA and Compliance – $1,000,000
City Wide Stormwater Quality Master Plan Implementation – $975,000
Curtis Creek Watershed Improvements – $940,000
Brookdale Watershed Improvements – $795,000
Next Generation 9-1-1 – $750,000
Fire Station #1 Replace Asphalt and Sidewalks – $690,000
City Technology Projects and Capital Improvements – $676,400
On-Street Parking Permit Program – $600,000
Byersville Watershed Improvements – $500,000
Tree Removal By-Law Planting Program – $500,000 (amendment to original motion)
Fire Station #3 Replace Exterior Windows and Alarm – $375,000
Stormwater Utility Program Development – $350,000
Asset Management Project – $350,000
CRM Phase 2 (City Departmental Projects 1034) – $300,000
Citywide Trail Rehabilitation – $250,000
Fire Station #3 Replace Interior Windows and HVAC – $225,000
Trails and Cycling Network Upgrades Program – $200,000
Rotary Trail Crossing – Hunter Street East – $125,000
Downtown Built Environment Outdoor Patio Program – $95,000
Transportation Planning Projects – $60,300
New Traffic Control and Street Name Signs – $40,000
Transportation Facility Planning – $20,000
