City Council Approves 2022 Budget

Peterborough, ON - City Council approved a 2022 Budget with a 2.87% increase that balances the pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic and other economic factors while continuing to move the community forward with investments in infrastructure and services.

“Council has had to juggle strategically investing in priorities such as affordable housing, economic development, repairing roads, public transit, climate change action, and maintaining infrastructure with the community's ability to pay," Councillor Dean Pappas, Council’s Finance Chair, said following Council's approval of the 2022 Budget on Monday, December 13, 2021.

An all-inclusive property tax increase of 2.87% equals an annual increase of $47.09 or a monthly increase of $3.92 per $100,000 of residential assessment.

The Operating Budget includes $298.4 million for programs and services, such as waste management, road maintenance, wastewater sewers and treatment, social assistance, affordable housing, recreation, arts and heritage, fire services, and policing.

The Capital Budget includes $93.8 million for various infrastructure and capital projects such as flood reduction efforts, facility maintenance, building a new Fire Station #2, sanitary sewer repairs, road work, construction of a new twin-pad arena, and police capital projects.

“With the 2022 Budget, we’ve managed to deal with the significant economic pressures while still bringing back a financial plan that keeps the increase to less than the rate of inflation," Mayor Diane Therrien said. "The City budget reflects the values of our community. I am proud that we have prioritized investments in housing, infrastructure, and the downtown, and look forward to putting these investments to work for the City of Peterborough residents."

Highlights of the City’s investments in the 2022 Budget include:

• $39 million for transfers to other organizations such as Peterborough Police Service, Peterborough Paramedics and Fairhaven long-term care facility
• $12.5 million toward the new Arena and Aquatics Complex project
• $12.4 million on Public Works, maintaining parks and roads, winter control operations, engineering and construction services
• $11.7 million in Social Services, including social assistance, children’s services, and housing and homelessness (The full Social Services budget including funding from the Province and other sources is $82.6 million)
• $10.1 million on Peterborough Transit operations
• $7.3 million toward building a new Fire Station #2 and $100,000 to support the construction of the new fire station as a net zero energy building
• $5.7 million for housing and homelessness services
• $4.45 million for the road pavement preservation program
• $1.7 million toward the $15.3-million source separated organics program implementation
• $1.55 million toward the Parkhill Road reconstruction between George and Rubidge streets
• $1.3 million for the road surface pavement program
• $1.3 million for sidewalk reconstruction
• $1.2 million for incentives for affordable housing
• $1.2 million for the Lansdowne Street West (Spillsbury Drive to Clonsilla Avenue) reconstruction
• $1 million to implement smart traffic signals at about 20 intersections across the City
• $426,000 for the Climate Change Reserve fund, including $205,000 to support implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan, $100,000 for net zero support for the Fire Station #2 project, and $65,000 for sustainability projects.

The complete budget documents as well as a Budget in Brief booklet that provides a high-level overview of the budget information is available at peterborough.ca/budget.

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