New roads, conventions – The Chronicle Journal

April 7, 2015

While Thunder Bay city council contemplates life after federal rejection of event centre funding, two conclusions dominate public discussion. One – that the city can and must now spend more on roads – is old. The other – that maybe we can get by without the convention centre and just build an arena – is taking hold. Both are based on misconceptions.

Overdue road work was minimized by previous councils to keep annual budgets low with the result that this council is faced with a massive repair bill. The Enhanced Infrastructure Renewal Program (EIRP) was approved by this council and beginning in 2012 it was integrated into the budget process to address ongoing capital needs through higher property tax increases. (Those increases were approved by a majority of residents in the city’s annual satisfaction survey which annually puts roads at the top of the to-do list.)

This year, spending on roads will again increase – and would have if the event centre had gone ahead. The city has budgeted approximately $18.6 million for road projects this year, including ongoing work on Golf Links Road serving the city’s populous northwest.

Read More: http://www.chroniclejournal.com/editorial/daily_editorial/2015-04-07/new-roads-conventions