Kitchener set to approve 2018 budget Monday

It's budget day in Kitchener.

City councillors will spend Monday deliberating over the final budget for 2018 during the special finance and corporate services committee.

The city is looking at a 1.7 per cent increase, the lowest tax rate increase in the region.

Councillorsspent the day going over the budget document with a fine-toothed comb, including reviewing budgets for the Kitchener Public Library, Centre in the Square, parking revenues and expenses, as well as water, sanitary and stormwaterrates and expenses.

The capital budget is balanced and will reduce the city's debt, but councillors tried to find more savings when possible.

In debating the capital budget, Coun. Kelly Galloway-Sealock asked if there was any way to postpone replacing the roof onDon McLaren Arena, which is set to cost $445,000.

Staff said the roofing assessment was completed in 2015 and the repair was already pushed back. Waiting will cause more problems with condensation inside the facility and problems for the ice in the arena. Staff noted patching the roof is not an option.

Councillorsalso approved 10 trail projects for 2018, including work on the Iron Horse Trail.

There was also a debate for about 15 minutes over the $300,000 in grant funding the city gives to Communitech. A motion was put forward by Coun.Yvonne Fernandez to cut it down to $200,000. That motion failed.

The meeting and agendacan be viewed on the City of Kitchener website.

The city is also tweeting regular updates on the budget deliberation process.

The decisions made by the committee will be passed by council as part of a special council meeting later Monday.