|
A Budget Built Around the Priorities of Gatineau's Residents
Gatineau, December 11, 2018. – Gatineau has tabled its 2019 budget under the theme of A Budget Built Around the Priorities of Gatineau's Residents.
Quick facts
| ● | The Municipal Council is adopting a $623.3 million balanced budget. |
| ● | Spending is up $23.5 million, a 3.9% increase over 2018. |
| ● | Taxes are up 2.1% for 2019, which equates to $56 for a $238,200 median residence. |
| ● | The tax increase falls under two categories:
- 1.6% to maintain service levels for residents; and
- 0.5% dedicated to infrastructure catch-up. |
The Comité d'analyse approfondie du budget | ● | On the heels of the adoption of the 2018 budget, the Municipal Council asked the Executive Committee to set up the Comité d'analyse approfondie du budget. This committee is supported by the Commission de révision des dépenses et des services. |
| ● | The committee's job was to:
- conduct an in-depth budget review, including the workforce plan; and
- provide the Municipal Council budget orientations for the last three years of the current mandate. |
| ● | The budget is based on the 12 recommendations presented by the committee. |
Revenue diversification | ● | A revenue diversification plan is in place to reduce the burden on taxpayers.
- In 2018, duties were raised on transfers of immovables for transactions in excess of $1,000,000, generating an additional $2 million annually for Gatineau.
- In 2019, the tax rate on serviced vacant lands will be adjusted, generating an additional $3.5 million.
- Additional measures will be assessed over the coming years.
|
The tax dedicated to infrastructure catch-up | ● | This tax, created in 2012, is used to fund infrastructure investments. |
| ● | In 2019, the increase from this tax will be adjusted to 0.5% from 1% in the past few years. |
| ● | Gatineau will be able to rely on the debt to offset the lower dedicated tax rate. The pace of infrastructure catch-up will be maintained. This is made possible thanks to:
- sound debt management; and
- a significant increase in cash payments over the past few years. |
| ● | Debt servicing now only represents 10% of Gatineau's expenditures, down from 23% at the time of the 2002 merger.
It is worth noting that cash payments represent 68% of maintenance type work, up from 25% in 2010. |
| ● | So far, the dedicated tax has enabled Gatineau to invest more than $112 million in infrastructures, with another
$36 million to be added in 2019. |
| ● | Gatineau applies for every possible subsidy program to help with the catch-up. |
| ● | In 2010, Gatineau set up a reserve for new infrastructures to help plan for their future maintenance. At 2019, the balance in the life cycle reserve stands at more than $27 million. The first investments out of it were made in the past few years. |
Service enhancements In order to meet the community's needs, Gatineau is investing in the following areas: | ● | Economic development:
- $100,000 for a partnership with higher education institutions, which will be used to set up a business incubator, with a heavy focus on cybersecurity startups;
- $100,000 to support the Fondation du Cégep de l'Outaouais for, among other things, the school-business project;
- $100,000 to structure the coordination and development of the Smart City technology;
- $150,000 to ensure recurrent funding for the Commission de développement économique; and
- $20,000 to support the Cégep Heritage College Foundation. |
| ● | Social and cultural development:
- $330,000 to increase the community development support framework;
- $180,000 to provide support for artists'professional practices; and
- $200,000 for two new day camps in the Aylmer sector. |
Significant investments from 2019 to 2021 | ● | Over the next three years, investments total $403.2 million, including close to $145 million in 2019, namely for:
- water and sewer systems: $42.2 M;
- water and wastewater treatment plants: $37.8 M;
- roads: $25.9 M;
- municipal building upgrades: $7.2 M
- social housing and residential renovations: $4.6 M$; and
- the community investment plan: $3.3 M. |
| ● | Over the next few years, Gatineau will continue investing in the following areas:
- the revitalization of two major commercial arteries:
- boulevard Saint-Joseph: $78.5 M; and
- rue Notre-Dame: $24.5 M;
- the water discoloration intervention program: $53 M;
- the bike path master plan: $30.5 M (from 2020 to 2024);
- implementation of the stormwater action plan: $24.2 M (from 2019 to 2023), which will, among other things make it possible to:
- assess the impact of torrential rains on the system;
- immediately invest in certain infrastructures; and
- review the ditch reprofiling program. |
Additional measures | ● | $65.6 million for Gatineau's assessed contribution to the STO budget to enable the transportation agency to stay on track and maintain the increase in ridership achieved over the past few years. |
| ● | $637,000 until 2023 to extend the school corridor safety program to all schools (55 more schools). |
| ● | $100,000 to implement the water management plan. |
| ● | Modernization of the parking meters in the downtown, which will include a mobile application for payments.
The situation in the la Cité sector will be assessed. |
Quote
“The budget we are adopting this evening is built around the priorities of Gatineau's residents. We are pursuing the crucial continuous improvement and massive catch-up work on our infrastructures that has been underway for the past several years, and we will invest strategically in projects that, through collaboration with partners in several areas, will enhance the quality of life across Gatineau. Gatineau is continuing to take its place in a world where municipalities are increasingly the most important level of government,” stated Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin.
Associated link
Budget 2018 Web site Mayor's speech Budget 2019 Pamphlet to accompany the tax account
Images
5.jpg) 2.jpg) 3.jpg) 4.jpg) .jpg)
|
