Grand Trunk Block, more supervisors in latest 2023 draft budget
New staffing positions will have a major impact on the budget as concerns about a city tax hike become too high
Expansion projects have been added to the City of Stratford’s pending budget proposal, including some new supervisor positions.
The City Council’s Finance and Industrial Relations Committee, which will ultimately present a budget to the full council, met Tuesday night to discuss the ongoing budget.
Extension projects are elements that extend the reach of the community. Some are new vehicles, others could be newly created positions.
All of the featured expansion projects were included by the committee in the 2023 budget proposal, with the exception of the Erie Street Walking Path Rehabilitation expansion project. This expansion project was withdrawn from consideration because the project was unsuccessful in funding.
The approved applications were:
- Hiring an external consultant to create a strategic priority list 2023-28
- Grand Trunk Block next steps
- A new cloud permit software for data management
- Water and Wastewater Network Communication (SCADA) Improvements
- Two more vehicles for the social welfare office
- A small utility vehicle for path maintenance and cemetery line trimming
- A new Recreational Services Supervisor
- A new Facility and Building Operations Supervisor position
- A new position as clerk for various institutions in the municipality
- Transfer of a part-time position as a driver in parallel traffic to a full-time position
- Conversion from three part-time positions as a transit driver to full-time positions
The most expensive project is the Grand Trunk Block, which was approved at $2.5 million. These costs do not affect tax collection as they are funded entirely from a reserve fund, a pool of money set aside for the project.
As Karmen Krueger, director of corporate services, told StratfordToday, that approval would all but deplete the fund but put the city in a better position to be ready when the project begins.
count. Larry McCabe expressed interest in updating the Grand Trunk Master Plan, which is now approximately five years old.
The master plan was created in 2017 to guide the growth and development of the Grand Trunk Block and the planned community hub. It also identifies partners in the project, such as the YMCA and the Stratford School of Interactive Business and Design.
count. McCabe argued that while a previous council might have had similar plans for the Grand Trunk Block, as a new council with many new council members, it might have different priorities and should know what they will be voting on.
Mayor Martin Ritsma said he was reluctant to delay the project further because it could result in missed funding opportunities. CAO Joan Thompson clarified that the master plan has enough leeway for the council not to be bound.
The Grand Trunk Block expansion project was included in the budget proposal.
As the deliberations got going, Coun. Brad Beatty made it clear to Krueger that the three newly created positions alone, if approved, would result in a 0.5 percent increase in the tax levy. He emphasized his hesitation in establishing these positions.
count. Bonnie Henderson agreed.
“That’s where my concerns come from,” Coun Henderson said. “I keep thinking to all the people in our town that even increasing taxes by $200 a year is a real difficulty…CPP going up. You got the carbon tax, groceries, gas. I’m worried that more people will end up on the streets.”
Although the conversation moved to the next point, committee chairman Mark Hunter made it clear that he supports the expansion projects: increased revenue. He argued that the hope was that as services expanded, revenue would offset increased tax costs.
After a little over four hours of session, the city council adjourned with a handful of projects yet to be determined.
At the beginning of the meeting, Krueger announced that the current tax increase is 6.63 percent. The tax collection does not result in a direct increase of 6.63 percent in the tax rate that residents have to pay.
After considering the distribution of taxes across property types, the expected increase in the residential tax rate is 4.29 percent.
The expansion projects and draft budget are pending approval and will be submitted to City Council for final approval. If all are approved, the tax allocation increases to 7.55 percent, the expected residential tax rate is 5.10 percent.
Budget deliberations at committee level are drawing to a close. Krueger told the council that the final impact on the tax rate will be presented at the subsequent committee meeting on February 21, once the remaining expansion projects are presented.