Township approves expenditures for large number of capital projects

Centre Well­ington council approved its budget on April 6 and that meant an overall tax hike of 2.67%.

Residential taxes will rise by an estimated $34 per $100,000 of assessment. An average house assessed at $232,500 will see an increase of $78. Council will spend just over $20.1-million on capital pro­jects this year and $17.37-million in its operating budget.

The 2009 budget includes the following capital projects:

- $11.026-million, for ex­pansion of the Elora water pollution control plant and construction of a bio-solids man­agement facility, condi­tional on grant funding from the federal and provincial gov­ernments;

- $253,000 for reconstruc­tion of Kertland Street, from Colborne Street to Church Street in Elora;

- $45,000 for improvements to ditching (for drainage) on Hill Street in Elora;

- $156,000, for reconstruc­tion of Gowrie Street from St. George to Hill Streets  in Fergus;

- $25,000 for additional parking spaces on Geddes Street at the former Dalby House in Elora;

- $120,000 for a new roof and heating and air condition­ing system at the Fergus Grand Theatre;

- $117,000 for the design of improvements to Bissell Park in Elora, with funding provided by the Elora Lions Club, the Grand River Agricul­tural Soci­ety and a private donation;

- $170,000 for reconstruc­tion of Tower Street from St. Patrick Street West to St. George Street West in Fergus;

- Engineering design and approvals for the following brid­ges - $70,000 for  Carroll Creek at 3rd Line in  Pilkington and $75,000 for Sideroad 20 in West Garafraxa;

$870,000 for reconstruction of Metcalfe Street from the bridge to County Road 7  in Elora to improve traffic flow, safety, and storm drainage;

- $8,000 for the installation of Opticom system on two more traffic signals to improve fire emergency response times;

- $20,000 for reconstruction of the following rural roads 3rd Line  in Pilkington between Sideroad 5 and County Road 17;

- $375,000 for 4th Line  of West Garafraxa, between County Roads 18 and 22; and

- $375,000 for the 2nd Line  of West Garafraxa between Sideroads 15 and 20.

The budget also noted the township plans to maintain the current levels of its various services, including:

- all township-owned roads being cleared within five hours following a snow storm; and

- snow removal and sanding and salting of sidewalks and municipal parking lots.