Council has given final approval to the City of Brantford’s $102.8-million capital budget for 2023.
The budget includes plans to purchase, build, maintain, repair and replace assets, including buildings, roads and bridges.
Councilors made a single revision to the budget at a meeting on Tuesday night. They removed $350,000 for a review of the archeological master plan, which would have included an overview of the city’s settlement history and an inventory of archeological sites.
The review was among several projects suggested by Coun. Dan McCreary for removal from the budget. All of the others remained in. They include: $250,000 for a parking master plan; $400,000 for a transit optimization study; $700,000 for a new waterslide at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre; $200,000 for a facilities energy audit; and $140,000 for a recreational facilities and outdoor sports field inventory plan.
count. Brian VanTilborg also requested removing from the budget $2.5 million to conduct an environmental assessment for Powerline Road widening and $500,000 for a project that will improve the current street configuration of Ada and Palmerston avenues at Brant Avenue to restrict access and prevent cut-through traffic. Both requests were rejected and the projects remain in the budget.
“It’s a tough year not just for the corporation but for folks who are bedevilled by the rising cost of living,” McCreary in his pitch for budget cuts.
“By deferring these (projects) for a year or indefinitely, we won’t collect money from the taxpayers to finance these projects. It’s an opportunity for us to give a bit of a break.”
count. John Sless disagreed.
“To me this is false economy,” he said. “You’re going to save a few bucks this year and spend more to get it done next year.”
This year’s budget is a substantial drop from the 2022 final capital budget of $134 million.
When asked by Mayor Kevin Davis, Joelle Daniels, Brantford treasurer and director of finance, said she expects the number of planned projects for 2024 will mean a higher capital budget next year.
Davis said he understands the intent behind removing some projects from this year’s budget but such a move is “artificially deflating” the numbers.
“It’s just going to catch up to us,” he said. “It’s really going to hurt a year or two from now when our capital budget will be higher than what it is now.”
There are just over 200 projects in the capital budget. About 150 are for public works and amount to about $95 million.
Among the major public works projects are: $17.7 million for Brantford police headquarters redevelopment (the total project cost is about $57 million); $14.1 million for the Empey Street sanitary pump station rehabilitation; $4 million for full corridor reconstruction of Dundas Street East (West Street to Sydenham Street, including Princess and High streets); $3 million for an animal control building to be built at 20 Kraemer’s Way (design is underway with construction planned at the end of the year); and $2 million for Phase 3 of the Southwest Community Centre.
Funding for the capital budget comes from various sources, including reserves, developer contributions, gas tax (now called the Canada Community Building Fund), federal and provincial grants, and debt.
Meetings to deal with the city’s operating budget begin on Monday.