By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—Last December, Haldimand Council outlined a new Ward Specific Funding Program that allows for councillor-driven projects to pull from an annually allotted pool of $50,000 per ward toward capital projects in their jurisdiction.
The list of proposed projects for 2023 was decided on through consultation between Haldimand’s councillors and County staff. As a new initiative, the program was not reflected in the 2023 Tax Supported Capital budget, requiring a budget amendment to proceed.
Engineering and Capital Works GM Tyson Haedrich said that following this inaugural year, future projects selected through the program will be embedded into the budget: “You won’t see another report like this, you’ll actually see it in the tax capital budget laid out.… In a couple of months, we’ll be going back out and talking to the Councillors about their 2024 projects.”
Of the cumulative projects moving forward through the program, Ward 5 drew the largest from the funding, requesting four streetlights and a radar speed sign at a total cost of $44,500. Ward 3 came second, pulling $20,000 for two radar speed signs and a storyboard in Edinburgh Square in support of the naming of Barbara Martindale Memorial Laneway. Ward 4 will see two new radar speed signs at a cost of $17,000, while Ward 2 will get one new streetlight with a $9,000 price tag. Wards 1 and 6 did not identify any projects for the 2023 program.
While each ward is allotted $50,000 annually through the program, wards that do not opt in can carry those unused funds forward to the next year, where the accumulated amounts can be put toward larger value projects.
Headrich said that the County intends to see all projects through to completion by the fall, however, “just a cautionary note on the streetlights, we do need to work through the Hydro One approval process, which can be a bit unpredictable, although it has been getting better over time.”
The total costs associated with the program for 2023 top out at $90,500. Council voted unanimously in favour of proceeding.
