The City of Quinte West has completed their 2025 operating, capital, and water/waste water budget discussions on Thursday.
OPERATIONS BUDGET – $86,439,000
CAPITAL BUDGET – $39,690,000
FLEET BUDGET – $4,639,000
WATER/WASTE WATER – $31,786,000
MORE BELOW
(l-r) Fire Chief John Whalen, Director of Community Services and Strategic Partnerships Jaclyn Grimmon, Supervisor of Marina Operations Andrew Belej, and Director of Planning Brian Jardine speaks at budget discussions (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
There was a major discussion around the cost of waste management and user fees at Trent Port Marina.
Councillor Sally Freeman says the city has lived up to its end of the agreement with the marina, however, she alleges the landowner TCS Realty told the council of the day they were going to build condos on adjacent land.
“I talked to Mr. James over the years at different events and asked him what’s going on? Well we haven’t gotten anything that we think is worthwhile yet. Nobody brings us something that interests us. That can’t be possible.”
Councillor Dave O’Neil says it is difficult to tell a private landowner what to do with their own land. Mayor Jim Harrison says the land was leased to the municipality for just $2/year.
An original motion was to increase residential rates for seasonal slips at the marina to five per cent, and for non-residents 15 per cent, for each of the next three years. That was defeated 8-5. The next motion put forward was to receive a staff report to have a cost recovery model put together on the operating budget for the marina. That was approved.
–
There was a long conversation on garbage bag tags as well. To cover the full cost of the garbage/compost and the Frankford landfill, bag tags would need to cost $4.15 per bag. To cover the entire cost of garbage/compost, it would be $3.51 per bag.
Council elected to keep the price of garbage tag prices at $3.25.
MORE BELOW
(l-r) Action CAO Chris Angelo, Clerk Josh Machesney, Director of Finance Caleb DenOuden (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
On Thursday afternoon there was a trimming of the budget, with several community funding applications denied, along with the lowering of the capital levy from 4 per cent to 3 per cent.
Councillor Shelley Stedall spoke to the current financial situation that the municipality is in.
“Our reserves are going down, we struggle with whether or not our development charges just went up, more than double, our water rates are going up and they’re going up 9 per cent. It’s just a terrible financial situation overall.”
When you include 2024 and 2025 borrowing, the municipality will have about $66 million in debt. That does not include what will be around $100 million in borrowing for water and waste water projects. Those projects are not included with other debt, as it is paid for by development charges.
Councillor Zack Card says much of the debt the municipality carries is for major projects like the marina and the OPP station.
“A new public works building and fire station one. It’s not that those shouldn’t have been built, it’s just that taxation needed to rise in line with those projects.”
Councillor Egerton Boyce says says he is not happy with a tax increase of 5.98 per cent, however, that is the current climate.
“A figure that I never really thought I would have to say that I’m going to vote in favour for.”
On every $250,000 of residential assessment, annual taxes will increase $221.65.
More on the budget from day one is available by CLICKING HERE
