Durham Region budget PLANNING PRIORITIES

NRU
Feb. 25, 2015
Leah Wong

Through its finance and administration committee Durham Region is working on finetuning its 2015 operating and capital budgets.

Last week planning and economic development committee approved a 2.2 per cent, or $116,000, increase over the 2014 planning division budget of $5.2 million. Wednesday it is presented to the finance and administration committee.

The most significant pressures in the division’s 2015 budget are a $72,000 increase for salaries and benefits and a $73,000 increase in professional services for transportation studies. These and other opening pressures are being off set by decreases in general operating expenses and professional services required for plan implementation. The division is also expecting a net increase in revenue.

Planning and economic development committee also approved a 1.98 per cent increase in the economic development and tourism division budget. This represents a $61,000 increase over the $3.1-million budget approved in 2014.

Included in the budget is funding for a new administrative position and to advertise and promote the inaugural Durham Festival. Other budget increases relate to an increase in professional, technical and consulting services for the creation of the 2015-2020 Economic Development Strategy and for analysis on the advanced manufacturing, health sciences and energy sectors.

Through his budget report planning and economic development commissioner Alexander Georgieff outlined the divisions’ priorities for the upcoming year.

Planning priorities are split into three categories: policy formulation and administration, plans approval and review, and planning advisory and information services. Policy formulation includes advancing development of the Seaton community and leading implementation of the three-year Cycling Communication Plan. Plans approval includes administering the region’s responsibilities for area municipal official plans, reviews and conformity exercises. Planning advisory includes supporting the region’s climate change roundtable and responding to provincial planning initiatives such as the Greenbelt Act and Places to Grow reviews.

The economic development and tourism division is focused on economic attraction and business retention and expansion across a range of sectors. This includes supporting business start-up and development services, collaborating with the local post-secondary institutions, continuing to implement the Durham Agricultural Strategy and implementing the culinary agro-tourism strategy. Durham’s economic development focus is on attracting new sectors to the region and continuing to support the agricultural industry.