GATINEAU's 2012 BUDGET: HEADING INTO A NEW DECADE

Gatineau, December 6, 2011. – Gatineau Mayor Marc Bureau presented the 2012 budget at today's Municipal Council meeting. For the first time in Quebec, discussions related to the budget preparations were conducted in public.

With its 10th anniversary approaching on January 1, 2012, this new $491,303,000 budget was adopted around the theme of Heading Into a New Decade. "Gatineau is a dynamic and exciting city that is growing along with its achievements. Over the last 10 years, Gatineau residents saw their city transformed through the efforts and dedication of all its stakeholders. By continuing with this cooperative approach, we will keep Gatineau on the path to prosperity over the next 10 years," said Mr. Bureau.

The budget was structured around four specific objectives.

Continuing to invest in infrastructure

Like most cities, Gatineau must come to grips with its infrastructure challenges. Whereas its infratructure spending between 2002 and 2005 averaged $44 million annually, it is expected to surpass $90 million annually between 2010 and 2013, an increase of more than 100%. In 2012:

• $25.7 million will be allocated to road repairs.
• $10.7 million will go to water supply and sewer systems, with $8.2 million of this subsidized under the Programme des infrastructures Québec Municipalités (PIQM).
• $15 million from the federal Gas Tax Fund will be used to upgrade water and wastewater treatment plants.
• $10.1 million will be allocated to municipal office building maintenance, of which $5.3 million will be spent on the first phase of the masonry work on Maison du citoyen.
• $350,000 will to go the regular maintenance program for light standards.
• $5 million will be spent on purchasing and replacing vehicles and machinery.





Sustainable and environmentally sound development

Since 2005, Gatineau has introduced several sustainable development and environmental protection programs. The Municipal Council intends to keep up the pace in 2012.

• The massive participation of residents in the collection of recyclable and compostable materials successfully reduced the volume of materials going to landfill sites, and the increase in compensation for the collection of recyclable materials enabled Gatineau to reduce levies by $15.10.
• In the environmental centre, the Tricentis sorting centre and an ecocentre, both LEED-certified buildings will open in Gatineau.
• Annual spending of $3.5 million on parks and green spaces will continue.
• $200,000 will be spent on greenhouse gas reduction.
• Gatineau's assessed contribution to the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) will increase by $3.7 million, including $2.3 million for the Rapibus. The total now comes to $45 million.
• $350,000 will be invested in the Green Fund for environmental projects.
• $300,000 will go to initiatives under the environmental policy action plan.

Maintaining and improving services to the public

Gatineau residents have seen services improve over the last ten years thanks to more than $20 million in investments. In 2012, Gatineau plans to invest $2 million on a number of initiatives under various policy action plans.

• $15 million for snow clearance operations.
• $62,000 to reduce speed limits to 40 km/h in neighbourhoods.
• $4.2 million for social housing and home renovations. The plan is to build 175 social housing units. In addition, Gatineau will contribute $1.1 million to the Office municipal d'habitation for affordable housing, and another $1.1 million to the Rénovation Québec program.
• $1.3 million will be spent on implementing the fire safety cover plan.
• $1.5 million will be invested in the police organization plan.
• $352,000 will go to the tags and graffiti prevention program.
• $20 million will be spent on the initial development phase for approximately 100 industrial properties. In addition, $385,000 will be invested in the Gatineau airport.
• $816,000 will be allocated to measures under the new social development policy.
• $356,000 will be shared between the new heritage policy and renewing the cultural policy.
• $193,000 will go to improving outdoor skating rinks.
• $50,000 will be injected into the policy on the outdoors.
• $480,000 (in cash and services) will go to Winterlude, which represents a $139,000 increase over 2011: Gatineau will be a full partner in organizing events at parc Jacques-Cartier.
• An additional $152,000 will be injected into the celebrations, festivals and events support program in order to make Gatineau a year-round tourist destination.

Keeping property taxes at a reasonable level

For 2012, the Municipal Council adopted a $491,303,000 balanced budget, up 6% from the 2011 budget. The main increases stem from:
• the payroll: $8.7 million
• Gatineau's assessed contribution to the STO: $3.7 million
• the dedicated infrastructure fund (1%): $3.2 million
• service improvements: $2 million
• new standards and statutory obligations: $1.8 million
• the increase in the TVQ: $1.7 million
• the police organization plan: $1.5 million
• Gatineau's growth: $1.4 million

The three-year capital program for 2012, 2013 and 2014 provides for investments in the order of $247.5 million, including $82.7 million for 2012.

For a sixth consecutive year, Gatineau did not use the anticipated surplus for the 2011 fiscal year to balance the 2012 budget. The Municipal Council is committed to this sound financial management practice, which speaks to efficiency and prudence.

Thanks to the 0.7% decrease in the levy for residual materials management, residential property taxes will increase an average of 2.2%. The goal of keeping the increase below the consumer price index (CPI) has been met, given that the regional inflation rate was 2.7% in October.

Of this 2.2%, 1.2% will be allocated to the operating budget and service improvements, while the remaining 1%, which represents $3.2 million, will be dedicated to infrastructure repairs.

"In an effort to keep property tax increases at a reasonable level and to increase our infrastructure investments, municipal programs and services will undergo an efficiency review in the coming year," indicated Mr. Bureau