Peterborough Homeowners Staring Down a 9.59% Property Tax Hike in 2024

While inflation has taken its toll on household budgets, it’s also hammering the financial books of the city of Peterborough.

Photo by Keegan Beekers.

Earlier this week, city staff released the draft 2024 budget. As a result of growing costs, the document proposes an all-inclusive property tax increase of 9.59 per cent in 2024.

So, what does that mean for the average homeowner?

The proposed increase would see your annual property tax bill grow by $167.17 per $100,000 of residential property assessment.

Or, if your property is assessed at $260,000, you would pay an extra $434.61 on your yearly tax bill.

To figure out what the proposal means for you, the city of Peterborough has a tool to help.

Where is the money being spent?

Proposed operating expenses for the city in 2024 will be $359 million ($173.9 million of that will be paid through property taxes).

Proposed capital costs will come in at $128.2 million.

The departments and agencies proposing to spend the most tax dollars include police, the fire department, social services, transit, public works, parks and recreation, and paramedics. Another large expense is capital financing costs.

The entire document is available to view HERE.

What’s causing the increase?

There are a number of reasons for the increase. However, general inflationary pressures are a big reason why.

However, other factors for the rise in costs include:

- Upgrading transit service

- Improving customer service

- Strengthening municipal law enforcement

- Rising policing costs

- Increased insurance costs

What could be cut?

Lowering the proposed increase by 1% would require $1.9 million in reductions. City staff have laid out a laundry list of possible cuts across a variety of departments.

Some of the larger potential areas to save money include (savings in brackets):

- Cancel downtown street surface repair program ($2.3 million)

- Defer traffic calming program ($700,000)

- Defer Towerhill Link Environmental Assessment ($600,000)

- Cancel Service Enhancement Plan ($530,000)

- Defer various new sidewalk installations ($500,000)

- Defer hiring four municipal law enforcement officers ($305,305)  and purchasing two security vehicles ($200,000)

- Full cost recovery of planning applications ($300,000)

- Cut statutory holiday transit service ($190,000)

- Close directly operated child care ($150,000)

- Increase transit fees ($100,000)

Planned Capital Projects

There are 147 capital projects proposed to begin (or be completed) in 2024. The projects come in at a cost of $128.2 million.

Some of those projects include:

- New arena and aquatics complex

- Brealey Drive construction from Lansdowne Street to Sherbrooke Street

- Pavement preservation program

- Lansdowne Street rehabilitation from Park Street to Otonabee River

- Charlotte Street upgrades from Water Street to Park Street

- Transit Garage replacement

- Curtis Creek watershed improvements

- Bonnerworth Park Redevelopment Project

- Downtown street resurface repairs

How to get involved

Nov. 9: Public meeting, brief presentation and opportunity to ask questions, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at McDonnel Street Community Centre, 577 McDonnel St.

Nov. 14: Informal drop-in from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. in the main foyer, at City Hall, 500 George St. N.

Nov. 14: Finance committee will hear from registered delegations, starting at 6 p.m., at City Hall, 500 George St. N. Register at peterborough.ca/delegations or call 705-742-7777 ext. 1820

Nov. 15: Finance committee meeting with outside boards and agencies, but no public delegations. Takes place at City Hall, 500 George St. N.

Nov. 20 to 23: Finance committee reviews and debates draft budget, but no public delegations.

Dec. 11: Council votes final budget. Registered delegations can present beforehand. Takes place at City Hall, 500 George St. N.

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Snow-Clearing Crews Ready 24/7 For Winter Weather Says The City of Peterborough

The City of Peterborough has stated that snow-clearing crews are ready to respond 24/7 for the community when winter weather arrives.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

“Snow clearing on roads, sidewalks and trails helps residents move around the City safely when the snow falls,” said Michael Papadacos, Acting Commissioner, Municipal Operations. “Our crews clear the way, so you can get to work, visit friends and family, go to the store, or get around town for the many other activities that happen in our community.”

The City clears roads, bike lanes and sidewalks based on regulated maintenance standards.

Their snow-clearing operations include:

• 18 plow trucks, two graders, seven loaders and backhoes and four light sanding units to cover 978 kilometres of roads

• 11 sidewalk plows to cover 450 kilometres of sidewalks

• Maintenance of 39 kilometres of trails and 650 bus stops

Service levels

Snow-clearing operations are based on a priority route system.

Roads that see the highest traffic volume, are on transit routes or pass by the hospital are the highest priority for maintenance in winter weather. Arterial and collector roads are cleared first as required by legislated standards.

Once the arterial and collector roads are clear or safe, snow-clearing operations shift to residential or local streets.

Depending on the storm's severity, the time it takes to finish snow clearing can vary. A big storm with snowfall over a long time may mean clearing snow from neighbourhood streets takes longer.

The City follows the provincial guidelines set under the Municipal Act, 2001, O. Reg. 239/02: Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways. The regulations categorize and prioritize roads based on traffic volumes and speed limits – the greater the volume of traffic and the greater the speed limit on the roads, the greater the priority for snow and ice clearing. The guidelines also include standards for the winter maintenance of bike lanes along roads and sidewalks.

Snow clearing in the downtown

As snow accumulates during the winter, City crews regularly remove snowbanks in the downtown area. No parking signs are posted before the snowbank removal work to keep the space clear for the snow removal.

Winter parking restrictions

Parking rules change in the snowy season to assist with snow-clearing work. Keeping streets clear overnight allows for better, quicker snow clearing of City streets.

From Dec. 1 to April 1, parking is prohibited on all City streets from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. The fine for a violation is $25.

During a snowstorm, when snow-clearing operations are underway, no parking is permitted on any City street. The fine is $80 for this violation and vehicles may be towed. Snow-clearing operations typically take place between midnight and 8 a.m.

Free overnight parking is permitted at all municipal parking lots, the King Street Parkade and the Simcoe Parking Garage. Vehicles parked overnight at either parking garage can obtain a gate arm ticket upon entry to the garage to be used for a free transit trip home.

Declaring a Significant Weather Event

Municipalities can declare a Significant Weather Event under the Municipal Act, 2001, O. Reg. 239/02, relating to maintaining municipal roads, sidewalks and bike lanes. All roadways in the municipality are deemed to be in a state of repair for snow accumulation during a Significant Weather Event declaration.

During a significant weather event, residents are advised to use caution and are reminded that typical winter maintenance service levels for roads may not be met. Motorists are advised to stay home and only use the roads for necessary travel.

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The Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign Kicks Off For Nov. 16

The Salvation Army Christmas Kettles will kick off on Nov. 16th at 11 a.m. at Lansdowne Place near the food court, accepting donations to redistribute throughout the community.

Photo courtesy of the Salvation Army Peterborough Temple.

Mayor Jeff Leal is helping kick off the campaign’s first day as a City of Peterborough representative.

This year, a goal of $110,000 was set, up from $100,000 met last year.

The Salvation Army in Peterborough strives to help those in Peterborough and the surrounding area who need it the most. They do that through their Food Bank, Breakfast Program, Christmas food assistance, the Christmas Toy Shop, and various other programs.

The Salvation Army is also needing volunteers for this year’s campaign. There are roughly five shifts per kettle daily. Some days may require up to 30 volunteers, according to a press release.

Any interested volunteers can contact Brian Lee, volunteer coordinator at 705-742-4391 Ext. 225 or by email at Peterborough.Christmas@salvationarmy.ca.

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Peterborough Under Freezing Rain Warning

A freezing rain warning is in effect for Peterborough and the surrounding area.

File photo

Environment Canada expects an approaching low-pressure system to bring snow, ice pellets and freezing rain to the area Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 8).

Expect snow or ice pellets to begin this afternoon before switching to freezing rain in the late afternoon or early evening. Environment Canada warns roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery.

It’s anticipated there will be ice build-up of two to five millimetres on some surfaces.

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Voice of Business: Employment Lands Can’t Be Left Out of the Growth Conversation

We desperately need more housing but it’s not good for our long-term sustainability to tackle the issue as housing at all costs.

The lack of housing opportunities is creating significant challenges and anxiety among businesses and our community as a whole. We have already become too expensive for some to live here and the problem seems to worsen.

Understandably, all levels of government are fixated on creating more housing — as they should be. But we need to make sure we don’t lose perspective of the vision our communities need for the future.

We need more employment lands to go along with our population growth or we risk becoming an expensive bedroom community.

Not only will servicing more employment lands build a stronger local workforce, but it offset the tax burden placed on homeowners. Commercial and industrial property owners in Peterborough pay 1.5 times the tax assessment rate of residential homeowners. While they desperately need basic municipal services like water and sewer — they use fewer services overall.

Municipalities can generate more revenue with fewer expenses while growing our local economy by servicing employment lands.

But we have essentially run out of serviced employment lands. There are a few pockets here and there, but local opportunities are slim. This is not just a City problem — we need to approach this as a region. There is a long history on this subject and it comes with a lot of baggage. It’s time to step back, look at the bigger picture, and come back to the negotiating table with all options as we try and work collaboratively to grow stronger as a region.

Currently, the City of Peterborough’s Official Plan is holding back much of these negotiations from even starting. Section 6.1.7 a) states:

Municipal utility services, sanitary sewer and water supply shall not be extended beyond the City boundaries, except when such infrastructure is to serve City owned facilities such as the Peterborough Airport.

It does go on to provide a couple exemptions but this statement is very limiting not to allow the municipality even to consider servicing land not within their boundaries or land they don’t own.

The City of Peterborough already has servicing agreements with the County and several townships on long-term care, emergency medical services, social services, and policing. Why is it a non-starter for water and sewer? Municipalities across Canada have water and sewer shared service agreements, enough so that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities offers a template service agreement for municipalities to use. Providing water and sewer service is expensive, but it’s not unreasonable to create a shared service agreement that covers the costs of this and provides financial benefits to all parties.

The message this section of the Official Plan sends is that if you’re planning to work out an agreement for serviced employment lands with the City of Peterborough, you’re really negotiating the terms of having your land annexed.

Annexation may or may not be part of the solution. The same goes for serving development outside city limits. The solution to our employment land shortage will have to be negotiated collaboratively between all parties with the understanding that it will benefit all, regardless of which municipality is collecting the tax revenue.

The City of Peterborough is undergoing a review of its Official Plan. Much of this review is focused on the back-and-forth between it and the Province to create more housing. One consequence of this back-and-forth is the potential loss of the few future serviceable employment lands within City limits.

Now is the time to rework the Official Plan and the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce strongly urges the City of Peterborough to completely remove section 6.1.7. We advocate that the City and the County work together in good faith to create an employment lands agreement. This will open more opportunities to build housing, create more property tax revenue, and grow our local economy.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Art Gallery of Peterborough Closed Temporarily For Building Maintenance Until Saturday

The Art Gallery of Peterborough will be closed to the public from Wednesday to Friday for regular building maintenance and a collection reorganization project, announced by The City of Peterborough on Tuesday night.

File Photo.

The Gallery will reopen with regular hours on Saturday.

For information about Gallery exhibitions and programs, visit the Art Gallery’s official website.

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Fleming College Offering New Aquaculture Students Free Training

Fleming College is offering free training to new aquaculture students in a nationwide initiative to upskill Canada’s workforce, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of FLeming College.

Through an agreement with the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University in Newfoundland, Fleming College is covering the cost of the first-semester tuition fee (including ancillary fees) for 20 Aquaculture Foundations students. This funding is available for the January 2024 intake.

The compressed first semester begins Jan. 2 to March 29 with no mid-semester reading break.

Fleming’s program focuses on fish culture, aquaculture techniques and fish husbandry, with a unique focus on Indigenous studies and practices in the aquaculture industry.

This initiative is part of the Growing the Canadian Aquaculture Workforce of the Future program, sponsored by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, administered through the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University according to Fleming,

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Three-Month Investigation Leads to Assault Charge for Etobicoke Man

A three-month investigation in Peterborough from July led to an assault charge against a 25-year-old Etobicoke man reported on Tuesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

At roughly 11:50 p.m. on Nov. 26, officers with Investigative Services spotted a man wanted in connection with an assault reported to police on July 23. The victim was allegedly struck with an object and pepper sprayed. Officers were able to take the suspect into custody without incident.  At the time of the incident, the victim was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for treatment.

As a result of the investigation, a 25-year-old Etobicoke man was arrested and charged with:

• Aggravated Assault

The accused is being held in custody and will appear in court on Nov. 7.

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Brant Basics Winner of DBIA's Downtown Halloween Window Contest

Brant Basics was declared the winner of the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) best window for this year’s Downtown Halloween Window Contest, announced on Tuesday.

(From left to right) Katrina Favron, Kaitlin Burley and Kayla Peters celebrate their win in front of the Brant Basics shop window. Photo courtesy of the DBIA.

Days after the DBIA’s Spooktacular Halloween in the BOOOro, the annual spooky event included a dark forest-themed window decorating challenge for shop owners.

Over 20 businesses participated in the window challenge to creatively transform their shop windows into captivating displays.

Locals voted for their top three Halloween window displays throughout the contest period from Oct. 13 – 31, casting over 1,000 votes online.

K C Costumes and Studio East were runner-ups with 230 votes and 125 votes respectively.

The top three winners will be receiving $300, $200 and $100 for their winning windows.

“Our team is so excited to win this year’s contest! All the businesses who participated did such a fabulous job and we can’t wait to see the downtown light up again for the holiday season,” said Katrina Favron of Brant Basics. “We all came up with different ideas and worked as a team to transform our window, it was a such a fun project to work on together and we will definitely be treating the staff to a nice dinner from one of our amazing local restaurants to celebrate.”  

Brant Basics winning Halloween window display. Photo courtesy of the DBIA.

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4th Line Theatre Accepting Applications For Playwright Funding

4th Line Theatre is recommending playwrights to receive funding of between $1,000 and $3,000 to develop new works through the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Rebekah Littlejohn and 4th Line Theatre.

Ontario-based professional theatre artists and artists’ collectives can apply by Jan. 12, 1 p.m. The Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the government of Ontario, is the primary funding body for professional arts activities in the province.

4th Line Theatre will administer the granting program with the primary goal of supporting as many playwriting projects as possible. Secondarily, they are also looking for projects that align with its artistic mandate: To preserve our Canadian cultural heritage through the development and presentation of regionally-based, environmentally-staged historical dramas, with special consideration for culturally diverse artists and collectives, artists living with a disability.

“I understand the financial challenges faced by playwrights and the OAC’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is vital to supporting their writing projects,” said Kim Blackwell, 4th Line managing artistic director.

Application forms are to be completed online on the OAC website. Interested applicants will need to create a NOVA account and follow the instructions for submission. If interested applicants have any questions about the process, please contact 4th Line Theatre’s Administration by email at submissions@4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by phone at 705-932-4506. The applications will be reviewed by Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

Funding decisions are based on the artistic interest of the project, the quality of the artistic examples given and the program's impact on the artist’s development. 4th Line Theatre will then forward a positive funding decision to the OAC for final recommendation. Grant amounts will be determined by the number of approved applicants and the funds available from the program.

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