In the moments before a final vote on the $342.6 million budget proposal for 2025, several councillors spoke in glowing terms about how efficiently with which the legislative package had been produced.
“I’m now in my second term on council and can honestly say this was the most streamlined budget process that I’ve been through,” said Ward 7 councillor Gary Harvey during a December 11 meeting. “I appreciate the amount of work you and the staff put into this leading up to it even coming to council and the finance committee. As the [finance committee] chair, it’s much appreciated.”
This is the first year Nuttall has been directly responsible for issuing a budget proposal using the strong mayor powers vested in his office by the province in late 2023. Under the legislation, mayors propose budgets, which are written in consultation with city staff, to councils.
According to Harvey, these new powers were wielded effectively by Nuttall. “I think this is one of the good things [to come] from the provincial changes we’ve seen. It means being able to get things done much quicker and in a more [streamlined way].”
Harvey went on to thank the mayor for including provisions to help the city move forward on some of its long-delayed plans. “There’s several key projects that are included in this [budget] and one of them, in my ward, has been asked for since 2019. On behalf of the Ward 7 residents, thank you for spearheading the fact that we are now going to be looking at adding a splash pad to the Peggy Hill Community Centre along with new basketball, pickleball and tennis courts. . . . I think it is going to serve our residents very well.”
Ward 3 councillor Ann-Marie Kungl also congratulated the mayor for the budget. “Because it has been such a streamlined process, I wanted to take a moment to draw attention to. . . some pieces we did add into capital [investments. . . . In case you missed it, what’s embedded in the motion is an addition to provide funds to look at building a boardwalk for Little Lake. For years, public, safe access to the lake for things like canoeing, kayaking and bird-watching has been requested. It had been tied into a master plan that didn’t move forward.”
Ward 8 councillor Jim Harris also highlighted the budget’s inclusion of provisions to support the long-delayed construction of a performing arts centre. The 2025 budget plan sets aside $2.5 million in contributions to the project and similar investments are expected to be made each year through 2029.
“On the list of really important pieces of community infrastructure, the performing arts centre has. . . been a goal [for a long time]. Since the decision was made not to renovate the Fisher [Auditorium] but to actually tear it down, the pressure and importance only heightened. . . . As the chair of the performing arts centre task force. . . it is exciting to see now the commitment to theatre.”
Before calling the unanimous final vote, Nuttall also took a moment to say the capital investments mentioned by other members of council had only been included because of their hard work advocating for the needs of their wards.
“I’m excited by this budget. . . [and] the amount of infrastructure work we’re getting done. It’s a pain in the you-know-what when you’re trying to drive down a road and it’s under construction but the reality is, as a council team, as staff, we’ve put a real emphasis on getting infrastructure built and getting those city-building projects — that have been talked about for eons — done.”
