The 2018-22 Council's first discussions of Owen Sound's 2019 capital budget begin January 15.

The proposed 2019 Capital Budget includes total capital spending of $16,172,078 (2018 - $21,354,951) and a requested capital tax levy of $2,171,000 (2018 - $1,945,000). The increase of $226,000 represents a 0.8% increase to the total tax levy.

The meeting will be held in the council chamber beginning at 9:30 a.m. The full agenda is here - as always, the meeting is open to the public.

From the introduction:

"In 2013 when Council was presented with a draft asset management plan, the recommended annual levy increase dedicated to capital was 1.0%. The recommendation was endorsed by Council at that time and Staff prepares capital budgets with that goal in mind and in consideration of other known funding sources.
Ultimately, the approval of the capital budget allows City staff to move forward with the capital program.
The purchasing bylaw requires that Council approve all tendered contracts over $250,000 before the agreements are executed.

After Council’s approval of the Capital Budget on February 11, 2019, capital expenditures that are below the threshold noted in the purchasing bylaw move forward without returning to Council for funding approvalso long as they are within budget.

The 2019 proposed capital budget and capital forecast have been presented by responsible divisions and includes annotations as to the priority of the project, the type of project and whether or not the project is growth related. Projects fall under a variety of themes including Road and Bridge Reconstruction and Resurfacing, Water and Sewer Main Replacement, Equipment Replacement, Facility Maintenance, Parks Maintenance and Economic Development Initiatives."

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