Blog: Mayor and Council News

City Council Approves Water and Wastewater Budget for 2023

City Council has approved the 2023 water and wastewater budget as outlined by the City’s 10-year financial plan for water and wastewater services (water, sewer, storm). The increase is approximately 4.3% or $56 more for the average household.

The 10-year financial plan was approved in 2021 to address a deficit in the water and wastewater budget with nominal increases set over a number of years. City Council also approved an increase to the “Low Income Utility Assistance Credit.” Eligible homeowners can now receive up to $150 off their utility fees and can apply anytime within the calendar year. So far in 2022, the City has issued $15,655 in rebates. Deadline for the 2022 credit is December 30, 2022.

The budget includes plans to use the City’s recent $2.9 million Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) allocations for capital projects to rehabilitate or replace existing water infrastructure. It’s also important to note that the $2.1 million budgeted for water and wastewater infrastructure replacement as part of Connecting Link construction includes the money needed for work in 2023 and the unspent portion reserved from 2022 construction that ended short of Mountjoy St.

The water and wastewater budget is separate from the general 2023 budget or 2023 tax levy because revenues are sourced from user fees and not property tax. Council will begin tax levy discussions in early 2023, which is typical in a municipal election year as incoming council is familiarized with City programs and services.

The full long-term financial plan for water and wastewater available on the City of Timmins website under Our Services > Water and Sewer. The application form for the Low Income Utility Assistance Credit is also available online at Timmins.ca

Posted by Amanda Dyer On 12/16/2022 at 3:13 PM