The property tax increase in Greater Sudbury currently stands at 2.8 per cent for 2018, but debate by the finance committee over what else to include before it reaches the expected 3.5 per cent bogged down Tuesday.
After meeting for close to five hours, the committee will reconvene Wednesday and Thursday in hopes of finalizing the half billion dollar city budget before the end of the week.
Several budget items were approved, including the funding for the $100 million arena/events centre on The Kingsway.
Councillors are currently making their way through a host of other proposals – business cases, as staff calls them – to get the increase to 3.5 per cent.
One would have seen the city commit to spending $4.6 million to rebuild the Hanmer fire station. Ward 6 Coun. Rene Lapierre said the building is close to being condemned. The food bank used to operate upstairs, but had to be relocated because of the poor condition of the building.
“We need to find the right location,” for a new fire hall, he said. “It's pretty much ready to be condemned ... We're right at the edge of not being able to be there any more.”
But Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier said they were being asked to approve construction of a new fire hall without the normal process being followed. Even the cost estimate is based on a broad per square foot estimate rather than detailed drawings.
“Things like this need to be done a bite at a time,” Cormier said.
Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh said there's also a station in her ward where the new trucks can't fit, so the Hanmer station isn't unique.
“How do we know this is the one that needs to be done first?” she said.
Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini said the proposal was reminiscent of the failed fire optimization plan, something council already rejected.
“This is something that can go to the emergency (services) committee,” Vagnini said. “This is the wrong time to bring any of this stuff forward, based on what we just went through.”
Another item – one that ultimately wasn't voted on as councillors decided to call it a night – was a funding increase to the downtown Sudbury community improvement plan. The proposal to increase it to $2.7 million *doesn't include the Brewer Lofts proposal, in which a private developer is attempting to convert the former Northern Breweries building on Lorne Street into condominiums. The developer is seeking $9.5 million in a business case that will be debated separately.
Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti argued that every dollar the city provided would lead to $12 in private sector investment. And it would go a long way toward achieving council's goal of getting more people living downtown.
“This would be a huge boost to (downtown) development,” Signoretti said. “I'm asking my colleagues to support this.”
Mayor Brian Bigger said council had already approved of the policy in principal, but the $250,000 budget was too small to make a significant impact.
“We really have to find a way to fund our part of this deal we've made with downtown residents,” Bigger said.
But McIntosh said this one item alone would add 1.1 per cent to 2018 tax increase. While she supported the idea, the ask was too big.
“This does represent a really good investment in our economy and our downtown,” she said, but suggested reducing the amount to $1 million or $500,000.
But Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer said council was already doing a lot of work, and this would be too much. He said they should focus on delivering the big projects – the events centre, as well as the art gallery, library and convention centre downtown.
And Lapierre said he opposed spending taxpayer money for a private developer's project, when they don't have enough money for roads and other projects.
“We're saying we don't have dollars to fix out infrastructure, and we're going to give money to fix a stranger's infrastructure?” Lapierre said. “I'm just putting that out there.”
Signoretti said the city is already doing that with the arena and events centre on The Kingsway, prompting Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo to remind him that the city will own the land where the arena will be built, as well as the arena.
Earlier, Signoretti – a vocal opponent of the Kingsway plan – had staff remind everyone that it's taxpayer funded arena, not one being paid for by the private sector.
“The belief is out there in the public that this isn't going to cost the taxpayers.”
He suggested killing the entire $100 million project, and spending $50 million renovating the existing Sudbury Arena.
“Then you have a $50 million surplus to do these other much-needed projects in the city.”
Ward 11 Coun. Lynne Reynolds said she was tired of people claiming that the city is neglecting downtown Sudbury.
“I want to remind my fellow councillors of a few things,” Reynolds said, pointing out that three of the four big projects are located downtown, plus they're moving ahead with the Elgin Greenway project.
“This is historic investment in downtown like we haven't seen in decades,” she said. “Enough already about the downtown.”
She also questioned the claim that there would be a 12-1 return on investment.
“I'd like to see some proof of that,” she said.
“We can't do everything,” added Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan. “We don't have the money. We can't give you everything you want.”
“I'm not suggesting this is not a good project,” Vagnini said. “I am suggesting the timing is wrong.”
At that point, Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann pointed out they had been meeting for several hours and suggested they break and start fresh on Wednesday.
The finance meeting begins at 4 p.m. at Tom Davies Square.
*An earlier version od this story incorrectly said the Brewer Lofts was part of the $2.7 million.
