The city of Kingston is seeking comment on fundraising plans for the hospital remodel ahead of Tuesday’s city council meeting.
The provincial government agreed to cover most of the bill, but a 10% share of the project must be raised locally.
Mayor Bryan Paterson shared a video to your Youtube page on Thursday discussing the potential plan that would raise property taxes 0.6% to raise $ 15 million over 10 years for the project.
Paterson says the request comes from the Hospital Foundation, which has requested a contribution of $ 25 million from the city, and that the city currently hopes to be able to budget $ 10 million over the next decade.
In the video, Paterson says that several construction facilities are too small and outdated, and to address this issue, the province agreed to bear 90% of the cost of what could be a nearly $ 1 billion project.
Paterson told YGK News that to fund a project of this size, everyone in Kingston will have to contribute to some degree, and that he understands that might be difficult for some to bear.
“Frankly, I think this is recognizing that this is something that everyone in the community should contribute to,” says Paterson.
“And that’s a great question, it’s a great request. We are going to discuss the application on behalf of the people of Kingston, all residents in all areas of the city who ultimately use hospital services, but also to recognize that it is a difficult time where we know that many people are struggling financially. ” .
He added that the city is not considering cutting the budget in other areas to contribute funds for the remodel.
Paterson says he expects strong opinions on both sides of this project, but also called the hospital remodel “critical to the future of our community.”
For a city with such a busy rental market, there are some concerns that this could contribute to increasingly unaffordable prices for those who do not own property.
The council will discuss the idea at Tuesday’s meeting and is encouraging feedback from residents before then.
Reference-ygknews.ca