Quesnel City Council has unanimously approved its capital budget for 2024.
It is for an estimated 9.8 million dollars and there will be an impact on taxpayers.
Director of Finance Kari Bolton went over the details at this week’s meeting.
“The five year capital plan does show a taxation increase to the capital reinvestment reserve of a hundred thousand in 2024, 2025 and 2026 to recognize the need to increase the reserve now that building replacement costs are being funded from this reserve.”
Bolton noted that even with these increases the fund would be depleted within 5 years and that more discussion would then be required on what to do in the future.
She also said that the city has more than 2 million dollars from the growing communities fund that has not yet been allocated.
“Previous discussions have been to leave this funding in place until the Johnston Bridge update project final budget is known and that of course is the biggest project in the budget when you go and look at the details. At this point the city’s funding for the Johnston Bridge update is coming from the capital reinvestment reserve, the water and sewer capital reserves.”
Bolton said that if some of this money was used for this project, it may help with the deficit currently in the capital reinvestment reserve.
There was zero discussion on the tax implications, but one section of the budget that did lead to a comment was a proposed updated crosswalk.
Bolton said that “this budget does include an additional 15 thousand for a crosswalk update at the arena” and that “this cane up at a staff meeting that there has been some concerns of people crossing at the arena.”
It would be a flashing crosswalk to warn motorists that people were crossing.
City Manager Byron Johnson talked about the bridge lighting on the foot bridge.
“You’ll note the project to replace the decorative lighting on the foot bridge is not in our current capital. We’re still trying to secure the appropriate way to secure that, it is very expensive and to date has been very prone to damage from people trying to steal copper or fixtures or aluminum, so we’re trying to figure out how to fix that.”
Johnson said that there is an amount of 70 thousand dollars in the budget for bridge security lighting and video.
He indicated that there was still a need to have a level of light on the bridge so it’s safe to use.
