Four Years of Strategic Choices
Bonjour,
Voici les grandes lignes du budget 2017 de la Ville de Gatineau.
Je suis très fier des changements fondamentaux apportés par ce conseil municipal à nos façons de faire depuis novembre 2013. Après avoir mis en commun nos programmes électoraux et nous être entendus sur les grandes priorités du mandat – une première dans l'histoire de la Ville, nous avons fait une longue liste de choix budgétaires stratégiques, resserré nos priorités en matière de maintien des infrastructures, réduit la liste de projets en cours et adopté un plan de réalisation précis à propos duquel nous avons commencé à rendre des comptes l'an dernier.
Le contrôle des dépenses est très serré et, pour une deuxième année consécutive nous connaissons la plus faible hausse de dépenses depuis la fusion à 1,6 % pour le budget de fonctionnement. Ce conseil aura laissé son empreinte, autant dans le choix des investissements eux-mêmes que dans les changements apportés aux façons de faire et je suis très satisfait de la plus grande rigueur qui caractérise maintenant le processus budgétaire.
Des principes rigoureux et une vision claire de l'avenir de notre ville ont guidé nos décisions. Oui, il nous reste des défis à relever, mais nos services sont donnés à des coûts raisonnables, la maison est en ordre, et Gatineau est promise à un bel avenir.
Budget highlights
A $577.8 million balanced budget
- A $13 million increase in total spending, 2.3% more than in 2016:
- this is the smallest increase since the municipal merger.
- A 1.9% increase in taxes for municipal operations:
- based on the Bank of Canada target consumer price index (CPI);
- despite this increase in property taxes, Gatineau is continuing to cut back in order to achieve a balanced budget (structural deficit).
The 1% indexed dedicated tax for infrastructure catch-up is being continued in 2017:
- created in 2012, this dedicated infrastructure fund has enabled us to invest $56 million to date, with another $25.2 million coming in 2017.
- For a median residence assessed at $237,700, the increase is equivalent to $75.
The Commission de révision des dépenses et des services
- Gatineau is facing a $4.3 million structural deficit. It introduced a five-year reduction plan lowering it to $2.8 million in 2017, and will gradually reduce it to $0.8 million in 2021.
This means that in order to achieve a balanced budget, the Commission de révision des dépenses et des services will have to address the following questions as it pursues its work:
- what is the pertinence of the service offered?
- what is the desired level of service?
- can delivery be optimized?
- The Commission's objective is to identify $15 million in recurrent savings by 2018.
- Since 2013, $13.2 million in savings have been achieved, which is ahead of the initially estimated potential.
- In 2016, the Commission's efforts yielded savings of $2.9 million.
Improving services to the public
- $80,000 for a plan to improve security in school hallways.
- More than $400,000 in investments in culture and recreation, as follows:
- $150,000 for a strategy on events;
- $145,000 for a business opportunity to expand the Aurélien-Doucet library in the Hull sector;
- $105,000 for the new action plan to encourage workshops for artists; and
- $17,000 for changes to the development plan for outdoor skating rinks.
2017-2019 investment program
- Investments of $373.9 million over three years, including $126 million in 2017, in particular:
- roads: $23.8 million;
- water supply and sewer systems: $34.9 million;
- water and wastewater treatment plants: $24.9 million;
- buildings: $6.7 million;
- parks and green spaces: $3.3 million;
- social housing and residential renovation program: $3.3 million;
- active transportation: $4.5 million; and
- other: $14.7 million.
- Issues related to the repayment of development growth fees:
- under a new funding plan, parks can now be developed that were previously funded through development charges, for a total of $5.1 million; and
- in 2017, Gatineau will introduce a new by-law to reset development charges.
- $53 million in investments over the next few years thanks to the dedicated infrastructure tax, to address the issue of water discoloration.
- Continue the strategy to enhance the road repair envelope adopted in 2015, a priority for the Municipal Council.
- Continue the major intervention plans for commercial arteries:
- Rue Notre-Dame ($19.3 million); and
- Boulevard St-Joseph ($42.6 million).
- Continue to get as much as possible from the subsidies offered by the higher levels of government for infrastructure and social housing:
- for 2007 to 2017, subsidies adding up to $279 million were put towards $397 million in work on the water supply and sewer system, water and wastewater plants and the rue Jacques-Cartier project.
- Construction of synthetic fields in partnership with the ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur and school boards:
- Grande-Rivière (CSPO) – $2,400,000; and
- D'Arcy-McGee-Symmes (Western Québec) – $2,500,000.
The debt is under control
- Gatineau is continuing to manage its debt prudently.
- Third consecutive decrease in the debt in 2017, $6 million less than the $563.8 million in 2016.
- Debt servicing now represents only 11% of our expenditures, compared to 23% at the time of the municipal merger.
- More than 60% of the investment plan is covered through cash payments, to Gatineau's credit.
