School zone pilot project, water line improvements

Gatineau’s 2017 budget: half-billion in total

Gatineau councillors spent the second week of November hammering out details of the city’s 2017 budget, which will total $577 million and be adopted December 6. Property-owners will see an increase of 1.9% in their property taxes as well as a 1% increase in the dedicated infrastructure tax.

School-zone safety will get a boost with an $80,000 pilot project for primary schools l’École des Tournesols, Jean-de-Brebeuf, Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf, Escalade and Lord Aylmer schools. The project included new signage, photo radar, improved roadway marking and flexible beacons, and the rearrangement of sidewalk descents and curb extensions.

Gatineau will invest $21.9 million in only a few libraries. At this point, council has agreed to enlarge the Aurélien Doucet library on Boulevard Mont-Bleu at a cost of $145,000. A new library in the Plateau will cost $13.1 million, leaving about $8.8 million for the Guy Sanche Library in Gatineau and the Lucy Farris library in Aylmer. Aylmer’s territorial manager has advised the Bulletin that Aylmer’s library will not move nor be expanded this year, and perhaps not in the near future. To enlarge and modernize the latter two libraries would cost around $60 million.

The city will spend $53 million over the next ten years to repair 81 kilometres of water lines to address many complaints about discoloured water. At the last city council meeting, the condition of the city’s water was the talk of several citizens.

Gatineau will also spend $105,000 for its artists–in-residence program. Council plans to continue discussions on its events strategy, which will receive $150,000.

See more budget news in upcoming editions of the Bulletin.