City budget season underway
Councillors hear requests and wishlists from crowd of community organizations for 2017
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
In what is the unofficial kick-off to the 2017 budget process, the city’s outside agencies were at city hall looking to showcase their achievements over the last year and present their budget requests for the coming year.
In total, the City of Oshawa funds several organizations that provide valuable services to citizens, including the Oshawa Museum, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa Public Libraries (OPL), Oshawa Senior Citizens Centre (OSCC), and the Parkwood Foundation. The city also funds the budget for the recently renamed Tribute Communities Centre.
In total, nearly $12.5 million in funding was relegated by committee to the council chambers, where a final decision will be made in January during budget deliberations.
For the second straight year, the largest increase for requests came from the Oshawa Historical Society, which is asking for a 4.7 per cent bump, or $18,750, above the the $402,550 approved last year.
However, the largest increase in funds was asked for by the OPL, which is seeking $216,575 more, or a 2.5 per cent increase, on its nearly $9-million budget for 2017. The increase is slated to be put toward new technology, a rebranding initiative and increased security at certain branches.
The RMG is looking for a 2.9 per cent increase for a budget of $794,270, as well as a one-time budget grant to help support the gallery’s 50th anniversary celebrations in the amount of $20,000.
Like the OPL, the OSCC is also seeking the standard 2.5 per cent increase, or $38,579 more, bringing its total budget to just over $1.5 million.
The Parkwood Foundation was seeking the same $325,000 in operating funding it received last year, while also hoping for a $75,000 capital grant to help with the foundation’s greenhouse restoration project, which has a price tag of just over $1 million. Parkwood will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2017.
The Tribute Communities Centre is also seeking an additional $86,000 to aid with equipment replacement and other facility requirements on top of the $300,000 in capital funding approved for 2016.
The final decision will be made in the new year when budget deliberations begin on Jan. 17. The public has an opportunity to provide feedback during an open house on Jan. 10.
The city’s capital and operational budgets will be presented to council on Dec. 12 and 16 respectively.