The city’s fiscal plans for 2025 are set.
Council approved the budget at a special meeting Monday night.
Once growth is factored in, the tax levy increase is 3% or $3.3 million compared to last year.
“While I understand this is not unsignificant it represents our efforts to balance community needs with fiscal responsibility,” says Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield. “For a home assessed at $300,000 this increase amounts to approximately $11.61 per month.“
One area of concern for some councillors is a $3.1 million jump in the city police budget.
Mayor Peter Chirico supports the increase.
“When we went out to the community and surveyed the community the number one issue was safety, the feeling of safety in our community,” he says. “Quite frankly the only way that you’re going to feel safe is with our police services.”
The city says operating budget highlights include:
- Permanent funding for the Outreach and Security Team program (patrols in the Downtown Waterfront and Cassells Street areas)
- Expansion of doctor recruitment funding to allow for more flexible use
- Completion of the transition to a fully online building permitting system
- Updating of the Community Safety & Well-being Plan
- Continued redevelopment of the former CP Rail lands, specifically between the North Bay Museum and the Dionne Quints Museum
- Partnership with the Chamber of Commerce on the Rural Community Immigration Pilot to attract skilled workers, connect newcomers with employers, and support long-term retention
- Investment in new affordable housing through the implementation of the City’s Housing Action Plan, supported by the Housing Accelerator Fund
Overall, the levy summary shows city departments basically balance out with virtually all of the increase attributed to service partners.
The total operating budget is $167 million.
Officials say highlights of the $80.6 million capital budget include:
- Construction of sidewalks for transit routes along Commerce Crescent and Wallace Road.
- Asphalt resurfacing in various locations.
- Seymour Street trunk watermain & widening between Station Road and Wallace Road.
- Capital needs of service partners such as Cassellholme Home for the Aged, North Bay Police Services, and North Bay Public Library.
- Development of a 50-metre freshwater pool at Cove Beach.
- The sustainable construction of the new North Bay Community & Recreation Centre, meeting the Zero Carbon Building Design Standard
