A $22 million dollar budget surplus came as a surprise to many, but not the mayor who came prepared with a plan to put $10 million into infrastructure as part of the 2018 budget that passed 19-5 Wednesday.
Mayor Jim Watson and Alta Vista Councillor Jean Cloutier put forward the motion ahead of Wednesday's city council meeting.
Kitchissippi Councillor Jeff Leiper had been leading a group of eight councillors who were supporting a tax levy that would cover the same thing; He ultimately withdrew his motion after conferring with the other seven councillors who planned to vote in favour of a one-time 0.5 per cent tax increase to help pay to fix the city's roads and other infrastructure.
"The motion that Mayor Watson has put forward is an excellent way of achieving the same things without having to raise taxes which none of us want to do," said Leiper.
College Ward Councillor Rick Chiarelli called the surplus news "a Christmas miracle." He had previously referred to the draft budget as fake, remarks Watson alluded to in his opening statements saying questioning the integrity of the numbers was insulting to all City staff.
"It is gratuitous, irresponsible, and a disservice to the city, our residents and tax payers to take place on this process silently over a nine month period and then at the very end call into question the entire budget developed under council's direction," he said.
While welcome news to most some councillors weren't happy with being kept in the dark. Gloucester-Southgate Ward Councillor Diane Deans, who came out in favour of Leiper's tax increase motion, wanted to know why the news of the surplus didn't come to council before budget day.
"I'm happy that we were unknowingly building consensus about investing in our infrastructure over the last week," she said. "But I do believe that there is a statutory duty to share information."
Watson's infrastructure motion passed unanimously.
Councillors Chiarelli, Deans, Leiper, as well as Catherine McKenney and Tobi Nussbaum voted down the budget. The same group voted against the budget in 2017.
More to come.