With a proposed tax hike of nearly five percent, Chatham-Kent council will get down to the business of finalizing the municipal budget tonight.
This year’s Chatham-Kent budget will have a huge focus on fixing the region’s infrastructure. The proposed budget is looking to spend over $13.6 million on various projects.
Public budget deliberations get underway tonight in Chatham and are expected to continue on Wednesday and Thursday.
For 2020, the assumed starting capital budget is almost $6.4 million, however, due to various major road projects identified as a high priority in the 2020 capital plan, an additional $6.7 million from a one-time federal gas tax increase is being added to the capital budget.
Among the projects that will be a high priority in the capital budget include construction on the Keil Drive extension in Chatham, improvements to roads around the Bloomfield Business Park, intersection improvements to Queens Line and Merlin Road and upgrades to Chatham’s Park Avenue.
Each meeting gets underway at the Civic Centre at 6 o’clock, and will be broadcast live on YourTV and streamed online.
Time will be made available for any individual or group wishing to make a presentation on budget issues at these meetings. Individual presentations will be limited to five minutes. Anyone wishing to make a presentation is asked to sign up at the door.
