Brampton 2017 Budget - Maintaining assets

NRU
Jan. 4, 2017
By Leah Wong

To maintain its $5.1-billion infrastructure assets in a state of good repair,

Brampton council has increased its infrastructure levy to 2 per cent beginning in 2017. This is anticipated to generate $845.2-million this year.

The 2017 infrastructure levy, an increase from the 1.3 per cent approved in 2016, generates funding for the repair and replacement of the city’s physical assets. The city has not allocated enough money in its three-year capital to fund the ongoing maintenance of its assets, leading to a $200-million infrastructure gap in 2017.

A recent assessment of the city’s physical assets found most to be in good or very good condition. However, as the majority of Brampton’s infrastructure was built over the last 20 years, the city is anticipating the need for more money to keep its infrastructure assets in a state of- good-repair as they age. Without further investment, the city’s infrastructure gap is expected to grow to around $650-million in 2025.

The infrastructure levy has been approved at a minimum rate of 2 per cent a year through to 2019 and is one of the city’s revenue tools that will be included in Brampton’s long-term financial master plan, anticipated to be finalized later in the year. Other tools, such as introducing a stormwater rate and density bonusing, and increasing user fees for recreation and culture, planning and development and transit, will be considered as part of the master plan.

Including the 2 per cent infrastructure levy, council approved a 3.3 per cent increase to the city’s portion of the property tax-with, 0.5 per cent for increased costs of providing existing services and 0.8 per cent to fund new transit and fire services.

Once regional and education taxes are factored in, the overall property tax increase for Brampton residents will be 2.3 per cent. For a home assessed at $443,000, this is expected to add about $107 to the average property tax bill.

Council approved a $631.6-million operating budget for 2017, down 2.4 per cent from 2016. This reduction is a result, in part, of the corporate restructuring in September 2016. At its meeting December 14, council also approved a $1.832-billion capital budget.

About 3 per cent of the city’s operating budget is allocated to planning and development services, totaling $165.1-million for 2017. Led by interim commissioner Heather MacDonald, the department is also responsible for a $166.7-million capital budget in 2017.

The department comprises five divisions-building, development services, policy planning, transportation planning and urban design. In 2017 the building division will upgrade its online tracking system and improve the online registration process for second dwelling units. The development services division will implement improvements to the site plan application process. An official plan review and comprehensive zoning by-law are in the work plan for the policy planning division. The transportation planning division will undertake a review of the city’s complete streets guidelines and roadway design standards, as well as an active transportation master plan. The urban design division will lead corporate and departmental special projects and studies including the Downtown Etobicoke Creek Revitalization study, potential university sites study and Kennedy Road South Study.