City budget should be finalized tonight

City councillors are expected to finalize the more than $500 million dollar city budget tonight, and at this point, residents are looking at a 3.9 per cent hike on their property taxes.

And that's before any of a long list of potential enhancements are considered. Among them is $1 million, spread out over time, in support of bringing a PET scanner to Sudbury.

The province has approved operational funding for the high-tech cancer screening device, but $3.6 million must still be raised to pay for the actual machine.

Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann made a passionate plea Tuesday for the city to donate the $1 million, to boost local fundraising efforts that have already raised more than $1 million.

"It's a council commitment for a maximum of $1 million to be paid over several years, phased in," Landry-Altmann said of her proposal.

In addition to operating funding from the province, she said the scanner would bring patients to Sudbury from across the North.

"People would be coming to Sudbury, because we would have the best one in the province," she said. "I will end by saying, get this damn thing here."

While some councillors agreed, others were reluctant to commit council to spending so much money on what is a provincial responsibility.

"I think we do need the PET scanner here, but having said that, I'm not sure it's our responsibility to fund the entire thing," said Ward 6 Coun. Rene Lapierre. "Health care dollars is a provincial issue. If we start paying for everything, then that's another form of downloading on us again."

Ward 11 Coun. Lynne Reynolds said the city has already given the hospital millions over the years.

"We've already given the hospital $23 million – that's a lot,” Reynolds said. If the hospital really needed this piece of equipment, the would have it by now, I'm not so sure they want it, or think it's worth it."

Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier suggested councillors find funding within the existing budget if they want to donate to the PET scanner.

With $500,000 left from 2015 healthy community initiative funds, and another $650,000 allocated for 2016, he said the funds could be used for the PET scanner.

"Are we able to allocate some of that money?” Cormier said. "Tough decisions have to be made, and we're trying to control our budget. We're trying to keep our taxes at reasonable rates."

"I'm certainly not prepared to go any higher (than 3.9 per cent)," said Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer. "This is where it gets tough, ladies and gentlemen."

Councillors are expected to vote this evening on the PET scanner funding, and on finalizing the 2016 budget.