It is all about looking to the future.
Councillors here are endorsing a means to ensure its infrastructure funding doesn’t disappear when current federal infrastructure funding programs end in 2014.
On Monday, Centre Wellington council reviewed a report by acting CAO Andy Goldie regarding the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) “Target 2014: Building our Future” campaign recommendation.
Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj said she’d commented briefly on the issue on Sept. 10.
“This provides the opportunity to ensure we are part of the decision making group to make sure we get more infrastructure money.”
She said the FCM is sending a message with Target 2014 that all the municipalities in Canada want to continue with this infrastructure plan “so that we will have some additional sustainable funding.”
While the gas tax has been made permanent, she said municipalities need dependable funding for the budget process.
Ross-Zuj said “it is clear property taxes cannot fund the deficiencies we have in infrastructure across the entire country. By participating in this we are trying to unite the country together.”
She said Goldie’s report notes that the Building Canada Plan and a number of important federal-provincial transfer agreements vital to Canada’s cities and communities, will expire in March 2014.
Ross-Zuj said “federal investments over the last few years have helped to slow the decline of our cities and communities, and the government of Canada has committed to develop a new, long-term plan for municipal infrastructure funding in consultation with municipal and provincial/territorial governments.”
She said a seamless transition from the Building Canada Plan to a new, long term plan, is needed so municipalities can continue planning their capital spending effectively.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) launched the campaign to ensure the new plan reflects municipal priorities across the country and asked member municipalities to pass a resolution of support.
Ross-Zuj said in Centre Wellington, the community has continuing infrastructure needs, expected to be over $80 million, including projects such as the replacement of the Second Line bridge deck (Structure 31-WG; $2,000,000), and replacement of the 3rd line Carroll Creek and Sideroad 20 bridges (Structures 24-P and 27-WG; $4,300,000) that can only be met through the kind of long-term planning and investment made possible by a national plan.
Centre Wellington endorsed the campaign and urged the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities to work with FCM to ensure the new long-term infrastructure plan meets the core infrastructure needs of cities, and rural communities.
Council also urged that the new long-term plan is fully in place when the existing programs expire in 2014.
Ross-Zuj said the municipality has had assurances that something will be in place to cover the 2014 construction period, “… so we won’t be left in a scramble.”
She also anticipated that as the month unfolds, council will get more of a glimpse of what the FCM plan actually looks like.
“It’s very different from the other one, but small and rural municipalities are built right into the plan so we don’tget skipped over.”
“I think we come up with a really good plan which just needs one more round of readings with the large cities.”
“With our support and the support of all municipalities across the country, we’re sending a unified message.”
Ross-Zuj hoped the initiative would send a similar message to the province.
Goldie’s report added that staff has worked persistently over the past number of years to ensure the community is prepared with shovel ready projects to participate in federal and provincial granting programs.
“Without this financial support the aging infrastructure within Centre Wellington, and most municipalities, will continue to decline and not meet the basic needs of our communities.”
