Infrastructure, transportation and technology investments are key components of Haldimand County’s 2024 tax-supported capital budget, approved unanimously by councillors during a Feb. 1 special budget meeting.
The budget includes $48.8 million in infrastructure expenditures for 2024, and a 10-year forecast of future projects totalling $344.7 million.
On Feb. 29, councillors will address the operating budget that will determine residential property tax increases for 2024.
Here are 11 things to know about this year’s tax-supported capital budget.
• Roadway and active transportation improvements make up the largest piece of the 2024 capital budget at $18 million. The figure includes bridge and culvert improvements, plus road reconstruction and resurfacing. Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley pointed out the cost of a single culvert replacement, such as one in the Selkirk area along Lakeshore Road, can exceed $200,000, a typical cost for culverts larger than three metres in diameter.
• Under the longer-term budget forecast, $1.34 million is allocated in 2027 for the Caledonia Argyle Street Bridge replacement. Tyson Haedrich, general manager of engineering and capital works, noted the county has repeatedly asked the provincial transportation ministry for a timeline on the project but has yet to receive a response. Haedrich noted the $1.34 million is a fixed cost the county has agreed to contribute toward adding a third lane on the future bridge, an expense funded by development charges.
• The 2024 budget includes $15 million for the Hagersville Library and Active Living Centre, slated to break ground this spring. The complex will include a pavilion, concession stand and outdoor washrooms at Grant Kett Park.
• $1.8 million is allocated for a new fire pumper and tanker, plus $560,000 for two new ambulances in the 2024 budget. Looking ahead to 2027, a new Dunnville fire and EMS station is projected at a cost of $7,746,150, to be built on county-owned land east of the Dunnville Memorial Arena.
• Park and trail improvements account for $1.3 in this year’s budget, including upgrades to baseball diamonds in municipal parks and a new cycling lane on River Road.
• A $900,000 tree conservation and forestry maintenance plan will support the planting and maintenance of urban trees.
• Haldimand’s municipal arenas will receive a $704,000 investment this year to upgrade refrigeration and ice maintenance equipment and building elements.
• The county is embarking on a Microsoft Office 365 modernization plan that will include a shift from on-premises to cloud-based solutions. Funds for technology upgrades in 2024 total $380,000, including $148,000 for website and communications-related upgrades, plus $235,000 for improved software solutions.
• Councillors have approved a $250,000 traffic management plan that will help shape Haldimand’s proposed safe streets program. Based on a model from Brant County, the safe streets initiative allows residents to report traffic concerns online, in real time, to help the municipality identify problem areas and deploy measures like portable radar.
• The 2024 budget also includes $50,000 for accessibility improvements at municipal facilities.
• The total capital levy funded by property taxes will rise from $21.8 million to $22.6 million in 2024, for an increase of approximately one per cent from the 2023 levy. While councillors discussed raising that figure beyond the one per cent mark this year, Mark Merritt, general manager of financial and data services, said the county isn’t facing the same inflationary pressures it saw in 2023, which will allow it to maintain the traditional one per cent increase in 2024.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation