Cost of MURC balloons to $42M under Georgina’s draft 2019 budget

You could pay an extra $89 under proposed 3.9% tax increase

Yorkregion.com
December 21, 2018
Heidi Riedner

Georgina budget

Breakdown of how the tax dollar is divided under Georgina's 2019 draft budget. - Town of Georgina image

A little sticker shock for the adjusted cost of the MURC accompanied a proposed 3.9-per-cent tax increase for Georgina residents under the town’s draft 2019 budget tabled Dec. 12.

The original cost estimate of $30 million for the Multi-Use Recreational Complex (MURC) was in “2014 dollars” based on the Recreational Facility Needs Study and has been adjusted at a rate of five-per-cent per year until 2021, town treasurer Rob Wheater explained.

While Ward 1 Counc. Mike Waddington noted the original cost estimate of $30 million for the MURC was raised “substantially” to $42 million in the capital budget, the same escalation was not to be said for the Civic Centre’s estimated $27 million price tag.

According to senior staff, however, the $27 million is a “rough estimate” in today’s numbers that will be “refined” once the design team is on board and specifications for the new facility are more defined.

Estimated costs for the Pefferlaw Fire Hall and renovations at The Link were adjusted under the budget, however, to $4.5 million and $1 million respectively.

As for the proposed 3.9 per cent hike, that would equate to an extra $89 on next year’s property tax bill based on an average home assessment of $385,810 and a total $42.5 million required from the tax levy.

The town’s total draft budget is $102.3 million.

That figure is split between $70.5 million in operating expenses and $31.8 million in capital projects, including $14.5 million in carry-forward projects.

Major projects in the budget include:

• Pefferlaw Fire Station -- $4.5M Operations & Infrastructure

• Multi-Use Recreation Centre (MURC) -- $42M

• New Civic Centre -- $27M

• Two-Year Roads Maintenance and Reconstruction Contract - $6.3M

• Hedge Road Bank Stabilization - $1.7M

• Holmes Point Modular Washrooms - $200,000 Recreation & Culture

• The Link Parking Lot - $1M

• Sutton Community Park - $1.5M

Of the eight new full-time staff positions being proposed, four are new positions with the other half representing former contract or permanent part-time positions.

They include:

• Senior Business Applications Analyst

• Records and Information Management Clerk

• Manager of Parks Development and Operations

• Tax & Revenue Supervisor

• Fleet Capital Administrative Assistant -- Contract to Permanent full-time

• Program Manager, OD & Recruitment -- Contract to Permanent full-time

• Fire Administrative Assistant -- Permanent part-time to permanent full-time

• MLEO I Officer -- Permanent part-time to permanent full-time

Water and sewer rates are pegged to increase by 7.2 per cent under a total $14.4 million.

Public meeting dates, where council will discuss the draft budget and receive comments from residents prior to its final adoption slated for Feb. 13, include:

• Jan. 9, 2019 -- 7 p.m. -- Community organization grants budget deliberations at Council

• Jan. 29, 2019 -- 9 a.m. -- Draft budget deliberations at Council

• Jan. 30, 2019 -- 9 a.m. -- Draft budget deliberations at Council

 

Residents are also encouraged to send their questions or comments to budget@georgina.ca