News

:

,

Prince Edward County passes capital budget for 2023

A light brown brick community centre, with a green lawn and picnic bench in front of its antechamber.
Highline Hall in Wellington, Ontario, where PEC councillors meet while Shire Hall in Picton is renovated. Photo by Alex Wright.
CJPE - 99.3 FM - CJPE - Picton • ON | 08-02-2023
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on email
Share on print

On Friday, Prince Edward County Council passed its 2023 capital budget.

The tax supported Capital Budget was approved for $85,103,026 and the rate supported Capital Budget for $25,103,201.

The largest item and lion’s share of the tax supported Capital Budget was the long-term care redevelopment at the H. J. McFarland Memorial Home site. The new 160-bed facility is estimated to cost around $65 million, with over $43 million coming from municipal debt financing over a 25-year term. County staff are scrambling to take advantage of a one-time novel accelerated provincial incentive program worth over $42 million to ease the financial burden.

But with the deadline for the program, which requires construction ready status by this August, there is a potential that it will not be met. Coun. David Harrison described the situation:

Picton Coun. Phil St-Jean countered:

Council voted in the grand majority to include the project, which will have a 1 per cent impact on the tax levy. Single tier municipalities in Ontario are required by law to maintain at least one long-term care home.

For the rest of the tax-supported stream, council authorized the following:

  • $641,000 in land improvements including Western Beach Improvements and Fire Training Ground preparations;
  • $1,288,000 for buildings/facilities including library, museum, and community centre renovations, as well as authorizing the phase 2 revitalization of the Crystal Palace;
  • $3,074,780 in fleet acquisitions including a new land ambulance and fire pumper tanker truck for Picton service area;
  • $535,325 for municipal information technology, including new teleconferencing facilities;
  • $738,100 for other equipment including a sidewalk plow replacement, fire department gear, and library collection items;
  • $754,000 for studies including a study for examining the feasibility of a local organic waste processing facility;
  • And $2,605,804 for bridges (which amounted to revitalization projects for the Loyalist Parkway and Burr Road bridges.

As for roads in the county, $10,720,971 was allotted for projects, including Phase 2 of Picton Main Street reconstruction, intersection improvements, and traffic calming. Just over a quarter of that amount was committed to other rural roads, which will employ the county’s new asset management system in prioritizing roads for repair work.

During deliberations, some council members questioned the merit of the system, especially with its associated 5-year plan to have some roads overall getting worse before they get better, as North Marysburgh Coun. David Harrison said:

But some council members championed the plan, including Picton Coun. Kate MacNaughton:

Under the rate supported stream, council approved over $25 million worth of water and wastewater equipment and infrastructure.

Listen to the full story below: 

Download Audio