Deliberations on 2025 Thunder Bay capital budget underway

Thunder Bay City Council has begun deliberations on the city's proposed 2025 capital budget.

The proposed budget, which amounts to about $162 million, includes a tax levy increase of 3.8 per cent. It was initially brought forward earlier this month as a first report to give councillors and the public time to read through the report.

It was then re-presented on Monday night to being the deliberation process; ratification is scheduled for December.

At-large Coun. Shelby Ch'ng said she's "comfortable" with what's being recommended by city administration, and was happy to see active transportation initiatives included.

"I know city engineering had a very extensive list, so having those pieces being able to be pulled out and identified as active transportation, I think it was really big for a number of people in the city that rely on that kind of thing," Ch'ng said.

Red River Ward Coun. Michael Zussino said he was "excited to see some of the projects that they proposed, and that they've allocated for next year in terms of big picture things and some little picture things."

"People want to see some value for their dollar," he said. "Like the multi use trail by the from the hospital to the cemetery, I think that'll be utilized."

"The pedestrian crosswalks, which will be make it a little easier to flow in terms of crossing streets between long stretches of lights," Zussino said. "So I think that they've identified a lot of things, and it's progress, right?"

This year's capital budget is being brought forward earlier than usual.

Normally, the capital and operating budgets are tabled in January. This year, city administration moved the capital budget up to November, as ratifying the budget sooner will allow the city to better plan and schedule capital projects, and issue requests for proposal.

Neebing Coun. Greg Johnsen said he was happy with how the budget was presented this year.

"I thought it was very clear," he said. "I thought it was articulated well."

"The paperwork that they put together, and the wordage and the usage of it, I thought it was impressive."

Ch'ng hoped the budget's presentation will lead to more public engagement.

"The last few years, especially since COVID, I think we've seen a decline in participation at during these budget deliberations," she said. "So hoping that maybe some of these changes might be a little bit easier to digest for the public."

The operating budget will still be brought forward in January.

"That one tends to be a little bit trickier," Ch'ng said. "Capital's capital, but when you start talking about having bodies in seats doing jobs, it tends to be a little bit more of a complicated conversation around the table."