Prince Edward County has rejected a proposed water and waste water strategy.
During Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, councillors received a report about the new plan. This plan for service was based on a 1% population growth prediction, which was adopted as the predicted course by the county in July.
The plan laid out water infrastructure spending through to 2036, with plans to finance needed infrastructure through a combination of development charges and debt. The required debt would involve $225 million in new borrowing between 2026 and 2036. Over the coming years until 2036, water rates are also expected to increase 5.5% annually and wastewater rates by approximately 2.1% annually under this plan.
The presented plan prompted a long discussion as multiple councillors argued that the municipality and its residents couldn’t afford the expenses laid out. Councillor Chris Braney was firmly against the presented plan.
“There’s nothing that’s going to compel me to approve this at this point in time,” said Councillor Braney. “We just went through a trunk line in Wellington to a development to nowhere. County residents are fatigued. I’m hearing this all the time. They’re tired of the kind of spending that we’re going through.”
After debate, the motion failed on a recorded vote, 6 to 5. Councillors Hirsch, MacNaughtion, Roberts, St-Jean, and Mayor Ferguson voted in favour.
