Centre Wellington council is hoping for some savings in its 2011 operating budget – but some departments are expected to see large increases in spending.
Council approved its budget on April 18 and taxpayers face a local spending increase of 2.2%. For a home assessed at $271,510, that increase is $22. With expected county taxes of $50 added on and the education tax seeing no increase, the total increase at that assessment if $72.
The township’s total capital and operating expenses are $34.87-million.
The estimated operating expenditures are $25.5-million, and capital spending is projected to be $9.36-million.
On the operating side, general government expenses, including costs for mayor and council, the chief administrative officer’s clerk’s and finance departments, information technology, and human resources is expected to decrease by 14.6% this year, from $153,465 to $173,675. The total cost is down due to projected increases in revenues.
In protection to persons and property, the fire department is expected to cost $1.3-million, the building department $111,308, and the emergency operations centre $120,000. Again, the expected decrease in those costs is 30%, with the building department down by almost 20%. That was due to anticipated extra revenue
Health services, which include such things as the local cemeteries and a health and safety committee saw no increases.
Parks and Recreation has a big jump – a total of 26%. Administration will cost $893,880, a 3.5% increase. The Sportsplex in Fergus is estimated to cost $489,700, a 6.9% decrease over last year, the Elora community centre at $200,800, a 5.1% increase, and other expenditures are set at $431,693, for the total increase.
The Sportsplex is expected to have extra revenue this year due to an extra swimming session. As well, the township has completed renovations to the second ice pad and expects some extra revenue from that.
In social services, the highest cost is the Victoria Park Seniors Centre, at $154,175, an increase of 13.4%.
In cultural services, the Fergus Grand Theatre is expected to cost $58,455, a decrease of 3.8%.
In planning and development, the planning department is expected to cost $220,460, an increase of 3.8%.
Capital projects
The township is scheduled to do a large number of capital projects this year.
The township will spend $9.36-million. That includes:
– $90,000 for upgrades at municipal buildings;
– $100,000 for fire services;
– $342,000 for public works, including winter maintenance reserve, GPS units, and emergency repairs at the Beatty dam lookout;
– $1.05-million on rural roads;
– $1.36-million on urban roads
– $788,000 on bridges and culverts;
– $1.38 on sanitary sewers;
– $1.53-million on the waterworks system;
– $290,000 on parks and recreation work;
– $1.6-million on vehicle replacement (including fire department and public works spending); and
– $431,000 on equipment replacement across all departments.
Some of the capital projects include:
– $160,000 for the demolition of the Forfar Street tower;
– $52,500 for more work on Sideroad 19 in old Nichol township from Beatty Line to Highway 6, and another $52,500 for Victoria Crescent at the north end of Fergus;
– $110,000 for the Jones Baseline bridge, in West Garafraxa;
– $455,000 to replace a culvert on 3rd Line of old Eramosa township;
– $300,000 for the reconstruction of St. George Street West, from Breadalbane to Maple Street, in Fergus;
– $700,000 for the reconstruction of Hill Street from St. David Street North to Breadalbane Street, in Fergus;
– $75,000 for implementation of trails, parking, development of new park gateway, tree planting, and naturalization in Victoria Park, in Elora;
– $15,000 to develop pathways, and gathering areas, installation of playground equipment and landscaping for Pattison Place Park, in Fergus;
– $30,000 for completion of three soccer fields in the Southridge development, in Elora;
– $522,000 for the purchase of a new fire pumper and a rescue vehicle for the Elora fire station; and
– $80,000 to replace streetlight globes and upgrades to lights in downtown Fergus.
– $490,000 for the reconstruction and rebuilding of the Nichol-Peel Townline, and $200,000 for doing Jones Baseline from the Nichol-Peel Townline to Sideroad 20, in West Garafraxa;
– $100,000 for reconstruction and rebuilding of Sideroad 20, in West Garafraxa from Jones Baseline to 1st Line; and
– $183,000 for work on Sideroad 10 in Pilkington township from County Road 7 to the 2nd Line.
