The City of Clarence-Rockland’s Municipal Council adopted its 2021 budget on November 16. The 2.25 per cent tax increase includes one per cent that is dedicated to roads, representing an increase of $211,000 to the road reserve fund. For a home valued at $301,000, a 2.25 per cent increase represents $46 annually. The average cost for water and sewer services will increase by 2.97 per cent and the rates for waste collection will increase by 10 per cent. The city’s 2021 capital budget amounts to $11.7 million and covers strategic capital investments related to growth, repairs, and planned maintenance for 2021. Included is $5.6 million for road repairs.
Some of the projects approved in the 2021 capital budget include:
| Edwards Street Reconstruction | $1,684,140
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| Culvert replacement Laurier Street (Fontaine Creek) and paving from Laporte to the culvert | $1,416,250 |
| Culvert replacement – Du Lac Road | $646,047 |
| Multiuse path between Amber and Caron Roads | $205,000 |
| Sidewalk on Landry Road | $200,000 |
| Plans and specifications for Notre-Dame Street | $102,000 |
| Replacement of dehumidifiers at Clarence-Creek Arena | $70,000
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| Bourget Park – Play structures replacement | $60 000 |
The draft budget was presented and debated in Committee of the Whole from November 3 to 5, 2020. Due to the pandemic, council members decided to freeze their salaries for 2021.
