City’s 2019 budget

Property taxes up 2.1% 

Gatineau presented a $623.3M balanced budget for 2019 containing a 2.1% tax increase, on December 11 at city hall in Hull. The City says this increase is necessary to maintain the level of services (1.6%) and for infrastructure maintenance (0.5%). The increase amounts to $56 for an average $238,200 residence, and is the smallest tax increase in the last five years.

With regard to city services, Council approved $23.5M more than in 2018, an increase of 3.9%.

In 2019, property taxes should generate revenues of $540M for Gatineau. The City will spend $42.2M on its water and sewer network and $37.7M on drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities. Over the next three years, infrastructure spending will reach $403.2M, with $145M in the coming year.

Aylmer:  flood relief, daycamps, bike paths

Two new day-camp sites (valued at $200,000) will be developed, “a pressing need,” said the Mayor. Between 2020 and 2024, $30.5M is budgeted for the bike path’s priorities.

The Mayor added that he is satisfied with the budget and with the transparency of its creation. “For four days, all presentations and discussions were transmitted live on our website, where they are still available,” noted Mr Pedneaud-Jobin.

The budget is the result of the work of the Comité d’analyse, whose mission was to proceed with an in-depth budget revision, service by service, and to propose budget guidelines for the next three years.

With recent, and likely increasing flooding, the City has created an action plan for storm-water management with investments of $24.2M (2019-2023); $11.5M of this goes to three neighbourhoods, including Wychwood, all by 2021.

City’s payroll 

Louise Boudrias, Marc Carrière and Jocelyn Blondin indicated their uneasiness with the payroll budget and its management. Ms Boudrias had submitted a proposition to limit the overall tax increase to 1.7%, but that was not accepted by the majority.  (Transl: CB)