Growth still weighs heavily on finances as Town of Stratford approves budget
STRATFORD, P.E.I. — The City of Stratford counts its vital inhabitants progress as a optimistic and a destructive.
“Development doesn’t instantly relate to elevated income for the city, as one would possibly assume,” finance chair Coun. Gail MacDonald mentioned throughout a particular council assembly March 23 to current the city’s price range.
“However requires the city to ship expanded companies together with water and sewer infrastructure, trails and sidewalks, elevated recreation and tradition programming, and hearth safety, amongst others, to ensure that the expansion to happen.”
Stratford will spend just below $8.5 million in operations throughout the 2022-23 fiscal yr.
The 2022-23 price range got here in with a surplus of $6,800 after working bills – whereas not big, nonetheless a big enhance over the $800 surplus the city noticed from the 2021-22 price range.
Based on the 2021 Canadian Census of Inhabitants, Stratford noticed a 12.5 per cent enhance in inhabitants since 2016 – rising from a inhabitants of 9,711 to 10,927.
Regardless of the expansion, each industrial and residential charges, in addition to Stratford utility expenses, noticed no enhance for the yr.
Parks and humanities
Development and group appear to be key areas of focus for the city, because the price range units apart cash for the event of the Michael Thomas Waterfront Park and the Stratford Neighborhood Campus, which might be dwelling to a brand new highschool beforehand introduced by the province.
The city additionally elevated its investments in funding for public artwork and features a new bursary for Stratford artists.
“The largest asset our group has is our residents,” mentioned MacDonald. “We hope that each one residents will proceed to be proud to name Stratford dwelling, and that we’re constructing a group not just for right now, however for tomorrow as effectively.”
Different highlights introduced up throughout the presentation included extra investments in lively transportation, the acquisition of a brand new electrical fleet automobile, a city operational evaluation in addition to an anticipated return to full-scale in-person occasions and actions.
From a utility standpoint, the price range included investments for a further water reservoir tower, upgrades to the Corish sewage pump station and, pending funding, the completion of upgrades to the Bunbury sewage pumping station.
Human assets
MacDonald additionally identified different highlights of the price range throughout her presentation.
A few of these embrace investments in staffing, which can see a brand new 36-week place within the planning division, a full-time IT specialist to remove the city’s present IT contract, and extra custodial and upkeep positions.
Work on the Pondside Watershed Restoration has additionally obtained funding, which incorporates dredging each Moore’s and Kelly’s ponds and the rehabilitation of the wetland and buffer zones surrounding the ponds.
General, not a lot has modified between the permitted price range and the draft offered to the general public on March 8, exterior of the addition of the Aintree Drive Extension to the capital price range, at a price of $20,000.
After council permitted the operational and capital budgets for the city and its utility, Coun. Jill Burridge mentioned the municipality is in place.
“I believe once you look by way of it, we’ve achieved effectively with getting funding within the final yr for lots of this stuff,” she mentioned. “You all the time need extra, however once you begin to have a look at the funding we’re making and the worth of belongings being constructed in our group, we’re doing effectively.”
The city is about to obtain $15,058,600 in funding in the direction of its capital price range of $19,964,800.
Deputy Mayor Gary Clow mentioned he’s wanting ahead to the regained area from the wastewater therapy plant and is wanting ahead to the summer time in Stratford.
“We’ve been coping with (the therapy plant) for 20 years and it lastly occurred, we’re getting our waterfront again. We do have plans to make that space stunning and I’m hoping July 1, we have now a pair thousand folks down there,” he mentioned on the assembly.
Mayor Steve Ogden was not current on the assembly, as he was isolating on account of a detailed contact testing optimistic for COVID-19.
Cody McEachern is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island.
