COUNTY OF WELLINGTON - Council passed the 2022 capital and operating budget with a two per cent increase on the county portion of property taxes.
At Thursday’s virtual meeting, the county council passed the 2022 budget with an operating budget of $247.3 million and a capital budget of $56.5 million.
Currently, there’s significant investment on the county roads network and public works facilities over the next ten years such as the replacement of Arthur, Erin, Harriston and Aberfoyle public works facilities, which totals to a $41.2 million investment.
The replacement of the Arthur public works facility will commence in 2022, while replacements for the Erin, Brucedale, Harriston, and Aberfoyle public works facilities will occur over the 10-year forecast.
Also, the county continued the $4 million municipal contribution for the completion of the gigabyte fibre optic buildout of rural broadband. The investment began in 2021 and will continue from 2022 to 2025.
Other key 2022 capital projects include:
- Property acquisition and design for the construction of a new Erin Library Branch.
- Implementation of the climate change mitigation plan for the County of Wellington.
- Land ambulance service expansion that will add a new 12-hour shift to improve response times across Wellington County.
- Affordable housing property acquisition for future development to assist with meeting community needs.
- Enhanced direct care hours at the Wellington Terrace Long-Term Care Home, as supported by a significant provincial funding contribution.
- Waste management enhancements including improvements to the Elora and Rothsay transfer station sites and two additional weeks of leaf and yard waste collection in the fall.
