I support the proposal to build a new Olympic-size 50-metre competitive pool in Red Deer.
I also support a new performing arts centre, museum and archives, and another couple of multi-use facilities like the Collicutt Centre, more parks (no canals thank you) and all the other things that can make a city a great place to live.
I want it all, not necessarily in the order listed.
Alas, here’s the billion-dollar reality check. The nut of it is priorities versus expectations versus funding.
The City of Red Deer’s 2014 $105-million capital budget, which was unveiled on Monday and is being looked at today by city council, doesn’t include any of the above wish list items.
It does include a 10-year plan of future capital projects that may or may not go ahead as each year council approves future capital budgets.
The tally today of that 10-year plan sits at $1.359 billion. This will change, depending on funding, priorities, and so on. The contentious $90-million Aquatic Centre isn’t even included in this picture.
One of the 2014 capital budget’s biggest items is a $17-million roundabout at 67th Street and 30th Avenue. I don’t know how that compares with other roundabouts in terms of price, but as we all should know by now, the price to keep traffic moving smoothly in a city of 100,000 is very, very expensive.
Council’s challenge is to balance scarce funding with capital projects — and balance priorities that include must-do projects like roads and sewers and firehalls, and community priorities like performing arts centres and swimming pools.
In addition, council must decide: Do we want just meat and potatoes? What about a little salsa for a change?
Please tell me we don’t want just meat and potatoes. But to have more costs more.
As wish list capital projects go, sports facilities, have certainly been the priority at City Hall. Some would argue validly that it’s about time something like a new museum and arts centre takes precedence over another swimming pool.
The Aquatics Centre project recently floated to the top of some city councillor agendas because it seemed wise to push ahead with it as the city bids to host the 2019 Canada Winter Games. A nice new competition-level pool would help with the bid.
It looks more and more like the new pool will not happen by 2019. Unfortunately for pool proponents, the far from cast-in-stone price tag is scaring the heck out of the general public. For good reason.
What else can $90 million get you today?
The new Central Alberta Cancer Centre at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre cost $46 million. In 2001, the Collicutt Centre cost $31.6 million. Considering inflation, the Collicutt would cost about $40 million today.
The city’s snow removal operating budget is $3.4 million for 2013. That would buy about 25 years worth of snow removal, although for some people, $90 million is barely be enough to fix the current snow situation.
The city is suffering with a number of lower revenue sources, one being a “significant reduction in provincial funding in relation to the original commitment.” It’s hard to plan when critical funding in never certain.
Alberta municipalities, which have very limited taxation powers, and which are also very dependent upon provincial and federal infrastructure money, have a combined $24-billion infrastructure deficit, according to the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association.
Premier Alison Redford said in this city, about Alberta, on the weekend at the annual meeting of Progressive Conservatives: “We are first in population growth. We are first in job growth. We are first in entrepreneurship and we are first in economic growth.”
Whether it’s art centres, museums, or sewer lines, shouldn’t we be first in infrastructure, too?
Mary-Ann Barr is the Advocate’s assistant city editor. She can be reached by email at barr@www.reddeeradvocate.com or by phone at 403-314-4332.