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| Councillor Tom Gill |
Surrey City Council has now approved the City’s 2011 Budget which includes a Five Year Financial Plan for 2011 through 2015. As Chair of the City’s Finance Committee, I am pleased that the City of Surrey will continue to set the standard in the region in relation to maintaining the lowest residential property taxes in the region and the second lowest business taxes in the region while delivering high quality services to our residents.
The City of Surrey is moving forward with the most comprehensive construction and capital works program in the city’s history. The approved five-year financial plan includes funding for the innovative “Build Surrey” program, a comprehensive initiative that will see the construction of a series of large scale capital projects that will benefit every town centre and every corner of our great city. The Build Surrey projects will be constructed over the next six years. The projects include, among others:
A new flagship City Centre library;
A new covered youth park in City Centre;
A new indoor swimming pool in Guildford;
A new artificial turf field at Hjorth Road Park in Guildford;
A new fitness facility in Fraser Heights;
A new gymnasium in Fraser Heights;
A new artificial turf field at Newton Athletic Park;
A new water park and other enhancements at Newton Athletic Park;
A new artificial turf field at Tamanawis Park;
A new cricket field at west Newton Community Park;
A new Newton district police station;
Renovations to the RCMP main detachment building;
A new fitness facility at the Newton Recreation Centre;
A new arena at the Surrey Sport and Leisure Complex in Fleetwood;
Two new gymnasiums at the Fleetwood Recreation Centre;
A new fitness facility at the South Surrey Recreation Centre;
New community arts space at the South Surrey Recreation Centre;
A new indoor swimming pool in South Surrey-Grandview Heights;
A new Kensington Prairie community centre near Morgan Creek-Grandview;
A new Grandview Heights Fire Hall;
A new Recreation Centre in Cloverdale;
Improvements to Clayton Park in Clayton;
A new community recreation facility in Clayton;
A new animal shelter and adoption facility in Cloverdale;
Cloverdale Greenway through Cloverdale and bridge construction across North Creek;
A new City Hall in City Centre;
A new large community plaza in City Centre; and
A new Eco-Centre in South Surrey;
Other artificial turf fields at locations still to be determined;
Significant parkland acquisition across the City;
A new parkade facility in City Centre; and
The design of a new large Performing Arts Centre in City Centre.
The five year financial plan will not increase property taxes to pay for the Build Surrey infrastructure program. However, the five year plan does call for property tax increases of 2.9 per cent for each year of the plan to address the city’s on-going, day-to-day operating requirements.
The City will maximize the use of existing City reserves to fund the Build Surrey projects but some managing borrowing from external sources will be necessary over the next five years. The City currently has an investment portfolio of $650 million of which a minimum of $65 million is available to fund the Build Surrey projects. The City will be borrowing over the next five years approximately $195 million from the Municipal Finance Authority for the Build Surrey projects. This borrowing will be repaid using existing capital revenue sources plus revenues from a new second suite annual fee of $240 per year; revenues generated from the activities of the City’s development corporation; revenues that the City receives from the BC Lottery Corporation; grants from other levels of government; revenues from parking and digital signage located throughout the city; parking; and lease revenues from City facilities.
The five-year plan also includes a special road levy that will be equivalent of a one per cent increase in property taxes per year to 2015 that will be used to address long standing road improvement, maintenance and safety issues across the City.
During my work as a Councillor in the City of Surrey I have been inspired by world-renowned architect, Bing Thom, who taught me the basic principal, "build the city where people want to live and everything else will follow". To that end, the Build Surrey Program investment is necessary to ensure we continue to provide high quality services for our well-deserving residents to enhance the quality of life they enjoy and to create a city where there are both jobs and opportunities for our residents.
The Build Surrey Program will ensure that the City of Surrey is attractive to new business investment as business owners across the region continue to seek communities that are attractive to their employees as a place to live. Business investment in Surrey is critical to the future of our city to provide jobs close to home and to expand the city’s tax base so as to keep the city property tax rates as low as possible.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the City of Surrey. We are well positioned for a prosperous future.
Yours truly,
Tom Gill, CMA
Surrey City Councillor and Chair of the Finance Committee
