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The first part of the City of Kenora’s budget process has been finalized.
City council officially approved the Capital budget at their open meeting last night.
Mayor Andrew Poirier says a big part of the capital plan is fixing up some of the rural roads in the community.
“We’re finishing off with the road study, but they (city staff) have enough information where they have included money in for a preventative maintenance program,” Poirier told council Wednesday night following the open meeting.
“Also, there are a couple of projects that have been identified that are a large scale, that will continue to be remediated on the Coker and Essex Roads.”
Poirier says they wanted to complete this part of the budget process earlier rather than later.
“By doing it now, there’s getting it out there. We probably end up getting better pricing because we’re at the front of the line for contractors bidding on jobs. Then it’s usually more financially beneficial.”
Not all councillors were in favour of the capital budget though.
Both Barb Manson and Lisa Moncrief voted against it.
Moncrief says more time is needed to “get a handle on all areas of the budget.”
Manson has different concerns and says the city can’t afford the $16 million dollar capital budget.
“I know council has done a lot of debating about the capital budget, and I see where they are coming from, but my bottom line is can Kenora afford amount of tax increases.”
Next up is the Solid Waste and Sewer and Water Budgets, which will be presented to council at the end of this month.