Council to go over city budget
Posted Feb 4, 2011 05:24:09 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Kitchener city councillors will get their first look at the capital budget today, which is worth about 900 million dollars over the next ten years.
Councillor John Gazzola says it works out to about 90 million dollars a year, almost double what the city was taking on for capital projects about 10 years ago.
He says during this budget process, council will be forced to make some tough decisions.
“The bigger the figures are for capital, the greater impact it has on the operating budget,” says Gazzola. “So we’re going to have to try to fit things in better, maybe it means we can’t do certain things right away. We have to live within our means.”
He says the largest chunk of capital spending over the next ten years involves infrastructure, including improvements to roads, sewer and water services.
A staff recommendation also calls for the replacement of some of the city’s grass sports fields with synthetic ones.
It would cost the city 1.2 million dollars for each field, but staff say it would help the city meet a growing demand for bookings and generate more revenue.
Councillors will be briefed on the capital budget today, but won’t make any final decisions until March 1st.
