MINTO – The town’s 2026 draft capital budget totals just under $16.9 million and is split into three priority groups.
Priority one refers to 2026 projects, priority two is for 2027 projects and priority three for projects in 2028 and beyond.
Minto’s CAO Gregg Furtney told council the budget seems “rather hefty” but a number of 2026 projects already have provincial grant funding.
“Our real focus is on the priority-one capital projects” said Furtney, who presented the budget at a Nov. 25 council meeting.
Of the budget, $11.42 million is the total cost of projects partially funded by grants.
“These are larger projects which will likely carry over beyond 2026,” treasurer Gordon Duff told the Community News.
The remaining $5.5 million “is the balance of the costs of projects which do not depend upon one-time grants.”
Departments eating up most of the draft budget include:
– public works, $9.58 million;
– water, $3.76 million; and
– wastewater, $2.24 million.
“You look at that number and you get a little nervous,” Furtney said regarding the public works total.
“But a lot of it is based on future funding we’ve anticipated because we’ve already put applications out.” The most expensive public works project – $3.05 million for the full reconstruction of Arthur Street West, from Elora Street to the western limit of Harriston – may not be completed as it hasn’t been funded yet.
“We’ll have to make that decision as we go through 2026,” Furtney said.
Totalling almost $2 million is the full reconstruction of water, wastewater and storm sewer infrastructure on Webb and Raglan Streets in Harrsiton
It is one “of those projects with a large dollar figure that’s conditional on funding. We put it in the [budget] so we are aware of it,” noted Furtney.
The reconstruction of Palmerston’s Main Street East and West, expected to cost $1.42 million, will “be a big deal for us going forward,” Furtney said. The project also accounts for $2.2 million in water and $900,000 in wastewater costs.
Furtney noted priority-one projects will not be funded through taxation; they will be funded by government grants, long-term borrowing, transfers from reserves and donations.
Big-ticket priority-two projects include:
– $350,000 to paint the Harriston water tower;
– $380,000 to pave 7th Line;
– $420,000 for a plow truck;
– $700,000 for bridge work on 5th Line, 7th Line and School Road 7; and
– $1.09 million for the fire department’s new tanker truck.
Big-ticket priority-three projects include:
– $1.5 million each for arena floors in Harriston and Palmerston;
– $1.7 million for the reconstruction of Boulton Street in Palmerston;
– $1.8 million for urban road replacements; and
– $3.01 million for an aerial truck for the fire department.
“If we leave everything the same, are all our priority-two [projects] going to become priority one next year?” councillor Ron Elliott asked.
“Yes, that is the idea,” Furtney replied.
Councillor Paul Zimmerman questioned if money is being put away to purchase an aerial truck.
“We’re looking at every single revenue source we can because we know it is a huge-ticket item,” said director of fire services Chris Harrow. The truck will be used for all three fire services in Minto, he added.
The draft capital budget presentation was received for information only.
The next step in the budget process is an open house in the council chamber set for Dec. 2 at 5pm. The final mayor’s budget is slated to be presented to council on Dec. 16.
