Monday's meeting only lasted about 40 minutes, but that was long enough for city council to approve this year's budget with a 2.9 per cent increase for homeowners across Barrie.
If your house if worth $285,000, you will pay $108 more this year for municipal taxes, bringing the bill to $3,809.
Councillor Peter Silveira voted against the budget because it includes hiring 20 new employees at city hall this year. He was alone in his opposition.
"I am going to be against any new hires in the City of Barrie because I don't believe the economy is in great shape," Silveira said.
"I think we should retrain the staff we already have in place and I am not going to support any new hires."
The City’s $50 million capital budget focuses on investing in Barrie’s aging infrastructure, specifically the reconstruction of a number of major road projects including:
- Ferndale Drive (Dunlop – Tiffin);
- Morrow Road; and
- Mapleview Drive East (Country Lane – Yonge)
Also, key Highway 400 projects including:
- replacement and widening of the Highway 400/Tiffin Street bridge
- replacement of the McKay Road bridge
- design of the new Harvie/Big Bay Point Road crossing
Neighbourhood renewal projects were also approved:
- reconstruction of Johnson Street from Shanty Bay Road to the beach
- reconstruction of Rodney Street from Blake Street to Kempenfelt Drive
Barrie’s waterfront will continue to evolve with the completion of the Centennial Park expansion, redevelopment of Memorial Square (Meridian Place) and the design and construction of Military Heritage Park.
Design and construction of Allandale Station will also take place and is scheduled to be complete in 2017.
Council also approved significant technology projects to modernize city processes and increase automation to provide residents and businesses with faster, simpler service and an enhanced online business environment.
A new Customer Contact Centre at City Hall is expected to simplify customer service by providing a ‘one stop shop’ for citizens to access most general services through a single phone number, email address and counter location.
