Residents at a post-budget meeting want Thunder Bay City Council to maintain services, develop the downtowns, and make the city more welcoming to cyclists and pedestrians.
Monday night, Council heard from Cindy Long who said Council should stop development on the outskirts of town, and focus on building up other areas.
“We need to energetically pursue ways to revitalize our downtown cores, because that’s where the biggest return on investment is in terms of tax revenues,” Long said.
She was joined by David Spackman, who also had a list of suggestions for Council to invest in the city. He asked Council to pass the current budget with a “reasonable” tax increase that keeps the city “strong and attractive.”
“Finish what’s been started, particularly the waterfront marina,” Spackman urged, “And start spending Council’s time in a concerted effort to maximize the tax base by leveraging our successes, intensifying housing and businesses in the cores.”
Residents also came out to ask Council to invest in our infrastructure and make the roads friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists. They also urged Councillors to re-think their plan to cut back on the number of people they hire.
CUPE Local 87 President Dana Vacek says garbage truck drivers are facing a higher risk of injuries because they are under-staffed.
“They went to the four [day] ten-hour shift to try to give their body time to recover. The winter season was always viewed as ‘hey, it gets a little slower, it’s lighter garbage so their bodies can recover’ as well, and they’re not getting those chances because the vacation time isn’t there.”
City Council accepted the 2020 budget with a 2.73% tax levy increase before growth, or 1.89% after growth. They still have the chance to make changes at next Monday’s meeting, and are scheduled to finalize it that same night.
