Roads, bridges, services highlighted in approved 2022 capital budgets

Prince Edward County council has approved an $18.5 million capital plan for 2022 aimed at improving roads, bridges, emergency vehicles, and other assets that support the delivery of services and programs.

“We are making significant investments in the core infrastructure that our community relies on every day to live and work in Prince Edward County,” Mayor Steve Ferguson said. “The 2022 capital budget is a realistic and prudent plan. And by adopting the capital budget now, staff can get to work right away on these projects in order to promote a competitive tendering process and avoid unnecessary delays.”

Council will consider the municipal operating budget from Feb. 2-4, 2022. The proposed operating budget is still in draft form and could change as a result of council decisions in February. The draft operating budget includes a 2.35 per cent tax levy increase, which equates to a 0.7 per cent increase after growth. The approved capital plan’s impact on the draft operating budget is 0.3 per cent.

Highlights from the 2022 capital budget include:
$2.7 million for rural road surface maintenance program
$397,700 for the replacement of a fire pumper tanker
$197,000 for the replacement of a land ambulance
$2.8 million for the road reconstruction on Picton Main Street between Bridge Street and Spencer Street’
$3.5 million for the rehabilitation of County Road 4 from the Millennium Trail to just south of County Road 34 (Hull Road)
$315,000 for the second phase of the Crystal Palace revitalization
$97,000 Parks and Recreation Master Plan
$197,000 for three studies to support the implementation of the Official Plan (Cultural Heritage Master Plan, Shore Land Designation Study, and Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw Review)

A complete list of approved 2022 capital projects with funding sources can be found on the County website.

Council also approved the water and wastewater capital budget of $56.1 million. Of this budget, $49.5 million is earmarked for the construction in Wellington of new water and wastewater plants, a new water tower, an equalization tank, and sanitary sewers to support new housing development.

$37.8 million of the infrastructure improvements in Wellington in 2022 will be funded by development charges, which are fees collected by the municipality from developers to ensure growth pays for growth-related infrastructure costs.

The debt servicing costs are to be recovered through upfront financing agreements with a developer, and therefore will not be an addition to the rate-supported 2022 operating budget or water rates. The remaining $11.7 million is identified as benefiting existing customers and will be debt serviced over a 30-year term.

A complete list of 2022 water and wastewater capital projects can be found on the County website.