Greater Sudbury proposes a 3.5% property tax increase

The City of Greater Sudbury is proposing a 3.5 per cent tax increase, however, that could change depending on what happens during budget deliberations.

On Tuesday the proposed budget, which covers almost $589 million in spending, was presented to city council at the finance and administration committee meeting.

The budget proposes a 3.5 per cent property tax increase subject to council review and approval. Options to have that number reduced will be provided to council at a meeting in February.

The city says the proposed budget "ensures all existing programs and service levels continue and a number of potential service improvements."

"We are making significant investments that reflect important quality of life enhancements for our community, so you see that in several different aspects of the budget," Ed Archer, the city's chief administrative officer said.

The city says the budget includes money for a number of projects including:

• $46.6 million for roads, including funding for the Maley Drive Extension project and $15.6 million for several bridges and culvert rehabilitation projects.
• $18.5 million for winter road maintenance, up from $17 million in 2018.
• $4.3 million for recreational assets, including upgrades to the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre and Dowling Leisure Centre.
• $3.2 million for projects at the Azilda and Sudbury landfill sites to allow the city to responsibly dispose and divert waste and to the protect the environment around the landfills.
• financing options for The Junction (a proposed art gallery, library and convention and performance centre) in the downtown.

Archer says the tax increase will keep current service levels, with improvements.

"We've seen some changes in provincial funding support, that's influenced our cost, you provide funding for some outside boards, they too have cost changes and that's reflected in the three and a half per cent number that we're talking about," he said.

Eliza Bennett, the director of communications and community engagement with the city says public feedback will be collected.

"We are going to be doing a number of pop-up sessions at events that are already taking place in the community over the next several weeks," she said.

"Things for example like a Wolves game or The Five games where people already are, we're going to be going so that people can talk to us about the budget."

An online budget survey is also be available and a city staff will be at the New Sudbury Centre on Feb. 6 between 9:30 am and 9 pm to get feedback. Public input will be accepted until Feb. 12.

The city says the finance and administrative committee is scheduled to deliberate and approve the 2019 budget at its Feb. 19, 20 and 21 meetings.