Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approves 2025 draft budget

The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee today approved its portion of Draft Budget 2025 The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee today approved its portion of Draft Budget 2025, which includes more than $3.7 million in net operating funding and more than $8.7 million in capital funding. Capital investments include more than $2.2 million toward construction of planned new community buildings, including $1.4 million toward a building in the rural east community and $800,000 toward one in the rural west community. It also includes $6.5 million to renew rural infrastructure, such as roads and guiderails. Rural road upgrades outlined in this budget include portions of Breezy Heights Drive, Carp View Road, Corkery Road, Emmett Road, McVagh Road, Phelan Road West, Stone School Road and Thomas Argue Road. The Committee’s budget represents only a portion of the overall rural capital investment because additional funding falls under the purview of other Committees. Overall, Draft Budget 2025 invests significantly in upgrading rural infrastructure, including:

• $1.8 million to increase the base budget for rural ditching, bringing the total to $3.6 million
• $26.6 million to resurface roads and for pavement preservation
• $25.3 million to rehabilitate bridges, culverts and other structures
• $6 million to renew facilities and parks, including accessibility improvements

Through Budget 2025 and future budgets, the City will continue to invest in the 2024 Rural Summit commitments. These include expanding the Rural Affairs Office, the ditching program, and paramedic services in rural areas. This Committee’s budget includes $160,000 to fund a permanent additional position to help support those Rural Summit actions and other ongoing rural initiatives. Items from today’s meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, December 11.