The City of Quinte West began pouring over the numbers for the operational and capital budget for 2025.
The tax levy (increase per residential property) began at 9.25 per cent Wednesday morning. The operating budget started at $89.1 million, with the capital budget at $43.3 million. Water and waste water projects are not included in the $43.3 million.
As proposed, the capital budget would be 73 per cent more than 2024, while the operating budget is seeing a 6.7 per cent jump over 2024.
Some of the major operational increases on the municipality are:
- 9.9 per cent increase in salaries/benefits
- 15 per cent electricity increase
- 8 per cent insurance premiums
- 5.3 per cent QW Public Library
- 8.1 per cent Quinte Transit
- 8.7 per cent increase in water/wastewater rates (discussed at previous meeting)
- 13 per cent in animal control
Much of Wednesday’s concern sat around the issues of debt and reserves.
To the end of 2023, the municipality owes $47 million, with another $19 million projected in 2024 & 2025.
Some major capital expenses (non water/waste water) are
- Rehabilitation for the Wooler Road (County Road 40) CN/CPKC rail overpass – $15 million
- Bain-Centennial Park trail project – $3.7 million
- Urbanization of 2nd Dughill Road – $5.7 million
- Road/bridges/culvert work across the municipality – $20.6 million
Much of the 2025 increase is centered around critical capital projects the municipality needs to address.
There is also projected to be an additional $100 million in debt for water/wastewater infrastructure work, however, that is separate, as it is is paid for by development charges.
The largest project, the water/waste water project, is the Trenton west-end trunk sewer at around $30 million. That would be part of the $100 million in debt, if all work goes in 2025. Council has final approval
Acting CAO Chris Angelo tells Quinte News that not all of the $30 million price tag for the west-end trunk sewer is on the 2025 books. There would be $15.7 million paid in 2025 and $14.5 million in 2026.
Once it is operational (if approved), user rates would then be applied to the debt taken on for the project.
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Acting CAO Chris Angelo presents to Quinte West Council (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
The municipality currently uses about $0.15 of every dollar to service current debt.
Quinte West was part of a recent study which looked at the reserve/debt ratio of 124 municipalities across Ontario. The municipality is in the bottom five.
Councillor Dun Kuntze did point out that with the inflationary and infrastructure cost increases, there have been many impressive wins, including a new fire and police hall, along with a new public works building.
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(l-r) Councillors Kuntze, Armstrong, Stedall, O’Neil, and McCue at day one of 2025 budget deliberations (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
On the operational side of the budget, salaries/benefits are proposed at around $30 million for 2025.
Other considerations included in the proposed budget are a new digital records management system. The municipality has more than 1,500 boxes of paperwork to be digitized. City Clerk Josh Machesney says this would keep all information in one repository.
A Fire Master Plan, Community, Safety, Well Being Plan, a Tourism Community Improvement Plan, along with a 15-year Parks, Recreation Master Plan are also part of the budget discussions.
With the OPP billing adjustment of $1.57 million, along with the elimination of several proposed new staff positions, the proposed tax increase dropped from 9.25 per cent to 7.17 per cent at the end of day one.
Much of Thursday’s council budget discussions will circle around grant funding
Council could also fully approve all water/waste water, capital, and the operating budget.
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(l-r) Mayor Harrison, councillors Alyea, Card, Sharpe, and Boyce (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
A list of capital projects below
