ELORA – The 2020 Centre Wellington draft capital budget is currently sitting at about $17.6 million.
On Sept. 9, council heard a staff report about the preliminary capital budget, which is subject to revision during deliberations from October to December.
Council hopes to have the 2020 budget set before the new year.
Of the $17.6 million capital budget: 50 per cent is going to transportation and public works, 29% to waterworks, 10% to parks and recreation, 7% to sanitary sewer, 2% to corporate, 1% to fire services and 1% to studies.
Funding sources include tax supported reserves (56%), debt (20%), water reserve (12%), sewer reserve (6%) and development charges (6%).
Treasurer Dan Wilson explained the province allows for up to 25% of a municipality’s revenues as debt payments.
“That’s the maximum allocation of debt you can have,” he said. “We’re currently well below that at around 7 to 8%.”
CAO Andy Goldie explained that in terms of debt the township is in “a very good financial situation,” noting other municipalities have maximized their debt capacity to receive grants from the province.
“They are at full capacity for their debt loading and therefore cannot take any other projects on, including other grants or provincial funding that may have matching funds,” he said.
“So we’re sitting in a very good situation if there are additional funding programs coming out of the federal and provincial government …”
Capital project highlights include:
– Elora Centre for the Arts building, $100,000;
– 3rd Line bridge replacement, $2.2 million;
– 5th Line bridge rehabilitation, $115,000;
– 1st Line bridge rehabilitation, $70,000;
– design, approvals and construction of a new corporate operations facility, $500,000;
– asphalt resurfacing on Middlebrook Road from 3rd Line to Wellington Road 7, $1 million;
– asphalt resurfacing on 8th Line from Wellington Road 7 to Highway 6, $300,000;
– asphalt resurfacing on Sideroad 4 from Wellington Road 21 to 2nd Line, $420,000;
– rural road rebuild, $200,000;
– rural road upgrades (application of additional maintenance gravel), $425,000;
– reconstruction of Elora Street from Tower Street to Perth Street in Fergus, $1.4 million;
– continuation of a multi-year pavement management program to replace small sections of pavement, $210,000;
– reconstruction of Princess Street from Church Street to the Grand River in Elora, $1 million;
– Scotland Street water tower interior recoating and repairs, $400,000;
– long-term water supply strategy implementation – Phase II Groundwater Investigation Study, $2.4 million;
– additional water capacity for Fergus wells F2 and F5: $747,000;
– installation of play equipment, landscaping and trail development at Forfar Park: $275,000;
– continuation of the urban forestry program: $250,000; and
– park development in the Storybrook East subdivision, $300,000.
Centre Wellington residents may relay their expectations of public services through a “budget allocator” survey at www.connectcw.ca, at the township office or at local libraries.
The capital and operating budget will be posted on the township website on Nov. 22.
The township also has a budget town hall scheduled for Oct. 16 at 6:30pm in Aboyne Hall at the Wellington County Museum and Archives, and budget meetings on Dec. 3 and 5 from 9am to 4pm in the council chamber. Delegations will be heard on Dec. 3.
Council anticipates budget approval on Dec. 16.
A motion to direct staff to include the preliminary draft capital budget in the 2020 draft budget during future budget deliberations was approved, with councillors Bob Foster and Stephen Kitras in opposition (Foster arrived partway through the discussions) and Mayor Kelly Linton and councillors Ian MacRae, Neil Dunsmore and Kirk McElwain in favour.
Councillor Stephen VanLeeuwen was absent.
