News Release
Record Development Enables City to Hold Line On Tax Rate, Maintain Services
December 19, 2008
The record-breaking growth of the city's tax base in 2008 will allow residents to receive the same services and programs and more in 2009 without an increase in the tax rate, said Councillor Mike O'Brien, Chair of the City's Finance & Administration Committee, during the unveiling today of the municipality's 2009 budget.
"We are able to hold the line on the tax rate, while balancing the increasing demands of a growing city with expectations of residents for sound fiscal management of their tax dollars," said Coun. O'Brien. "This is the right budget at the right time, providing residents with value for their money and keeping this city heading in the right direction."
The 2009 municipal tax rate will remain unchanged at $1.41 cents per $100 of assessment and the outside tax rate—for those not connected to municipal water and sewer will remain unchanged at $1.06 per $100 of assessment.
The City's general fund budget totals $88.7 million for 2009, up from $82.4 million in 2008. It contains funds for major city construction projects including the start of the new conference centre, parking garage and office complex, which will rejuvenate the City's downtown core, and the Grant Harvey Centre on Knowledge Park Drive.
Public safety continues to be a priority for the City with the budget earmarking funds for the Fredericton Police Force to hire a full-time civilian clerk and a new Crime Analyst on a six-month contract.
The budget will also fund the completion of the Northside fire station and the training complex on Two Nations Crossing. The Fire department will also receive a new pumper tanker fire-fighting apparatus and funding to hire a coordinator to look after the training complex, which is expected to generate revenue by training fire fighters from throughout the Atlantic provinces.
"Residents have told us they want to live in a safe and secure City and we are making more strategic investments to improve public safety," said Coun. O'Brien.
Six other new City positions will be created in 2009 to keep pace with the demands of a growing city and provide better services to Fredericton residents. These new hirings include a fleet foreman, disability management generalist, a legal secretary, and three bus operators. All the new positions, with the exception of the bus operators, have been created without increasing the budget, through efficiencies.
The budget also provides funds to begin implementing some of the recommendations in the recently developed Recreation Master Plan, Transit Master Plan and Trails/Bikeways Master Plan.
The Transit Master Plan initiatives will see the City continue a new bus route along Two Nations Crossing, which has been operating as a pilot project for the last three months. The budget also provides funds to build four new bus shelters and do some maintenance work on others. As well, there are funds to commission a study of the Dial-A-Bus system.
The budget also contains a cut in the cost of a senior's bus pass and an increase in the cost of an adult bus fare. There will also be increases in fees the city charges for monthly parking passes for off-street and surface lots, and for ice rental at the city's arenas.
The City will begin implementing its new Recreation Master Plan with a major facelift to the tennis courts at Wilmot Park. There is also money for a major improvement to Royal Road Park, including new playground equipment and other amenities.
A section of the city's trail system, which runs from the Lighthouse on the Green to the St. Anne's Point Drive pedway, will be twinned with one side featuring a stone dust surface and the other a paved surface. Seating will be incorporated into the landscape and decorative lighting will be installed. As well new bike lanes will be installed around the city, continuing the work begun in 2008 to make the city more bicycle-friendly
There is also money to stage a ceremony to greet the arrival of the Olympic Torch relay and host the national Star-Skate championships.
The City will continue its Green Matters campaign in 2009 by encouraging residents to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent by 2010. The budget provides funds to both market Fredericton as the centre for green technologies in New Brunswick and to market and promote the new conference centre expected to open on Queen Street in 2011.
The Engineering & Public Works division will focus on the sustainability and reliability of its systems with major investments to replace and repair aging water and sewer pipes.
There will be major upgrades on Dundonald Street and Fraser Avenue and preparation is being done for a major upgrade to the City's waste water treatment plant on Barker Street.
The budget also provides funds for a significant program of paving, curb & gutter, sidewalks and storm water infrastructure renewal, including major upgrades to the Cliffe/Union/St. Marys streets area, Brookside Drive and Hanwell Road.
As well, the budget provides funds to complete work on the E. John Bliss water treatment plant on Waterloo Row, which will be commissioned early in the new year.
The Water & Sewer Budget for 2009 is $10.7 million. To keep pace with inflation, the growth of the city and the need to act responsibly in replacing aging water and sewer assets, the budget contains an increase of $3.25 per month or $39 per year on average to its water and sewer rates.
"Residents can mitigate this additional cost by implementing water-saving measures like the ones we suggested during our Green Matters water conservation campaign earlier this year," said Coun. O'Brien.
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