THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay’s city council made some final tweaks to the 2023 city budget before granting final approval on Monday, approving significant service cuts and while hearing warnings the process could be equally difficult next year.
Months after appointing Mayor Ken Boshcoff and Coun. Shelby Ch’ng to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board, council filled its final seat, selecting Denise Baxter as its citizen representative.
Meanwhile, council appointed familiar faces to lead the organizing committee for the 2024 Ontario Winter Games, which will bring thousands of youth athletes to Thunder Bay.
2023 budget approved
After a month of debate, council approved the 2023 city budget with a five per cent tax levy hike and a large policing expansion.
Councillors approved over $2 million in cuts to service levels and staffing that have yet to be defined, and took millions out of its reserves, as it looked to lower the tax hike from a proposed 6.2 per cent.
Council also granted the Jumbo Gardens Recreation Centre a reprieve on Monday, extending its closure date from May to December in hopes of finding an “exit strategy” such as finding an entity to lease it.
Baxter appointed to police board
Council has filled its final appointment to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board, selecting Denise Baxter as its citizen representative.
Baxter, the vice-provost of Indigenous initiatives at Lakehead University, will join Mayor Ken Boshcoff and Coun. Shelby Ch’ng, as well as provincial appointee Karen Machado, on the board.
One other provincial seat remains vacant, but none of the members yet hold any decision-making power in any case, with administrator Malcolm Mercer overseeing the board until at lest March.
Winter Games organizing committee set
Council appointed roughly 30 people to power an organizing committee for next year’s Ontario Winter Games in Thunder Bay.
Barry Streib and Tracie Smith were tapped as co-chairs for the event, which sees thousands of athletes aged 12 to 18 compete in close to 30 sports, including several parasports.
Photo radar hits yellow light
City staff are continuing to work behind the scenes on a plan to implement automated speed enforcement, also known as photo radar, after council expressed interest in 2020.
However, administration reported difficulty securing an equipment supplier to join the provincial program. After discussions, one vendor concluding the city’s isolated location meant "the cost of maintenance is beyond the contractually obligated price."
Negotiations remain ongoing, staff said, promising an update “when there is a viable option to fulfill all obligations of the program,” but with no timeline attached.
Administration recommends starting the program with two mobile cameras to test how effective the system will be. Staff estimate fine revenue would cover costs pegged at over $600,000 in each of its first two years.
