Whitehorse council tables $96M capital budget, looks for help to pay for it

Whitehorse's new mayor says the first capital budget of his term is about "fiscal responsibility," as the city grapples with aging infrastructure, the threat of climate change, and a steadily growing population.

The city's draft 2025 capital budget was tabled on Monday. It includes total expenditures of $96-million, the bulk of which is expected to be covered by other levels of government.

"There is no excessive or unnecessary spending," said Mayor Kirk Cameron, as the draft budget was tabled.

"Instead, we are focused on basics and making sure we attend to the core business of municipal government."

About $81 million — or about 84 per cent — of the city's proposed capital expenditures this year are contingent on funding from the territorial or federal government. That's more than double what the city asked for last year.

The rest has already been approved. 

In his budget address, Cameron acknowledged that the city will have to "look at all options to find creative solutions" to fund major capital projects in the years ahead, including needed upgrades to roads, pipes and buildings, and the work to reconfigure Robert Service Way to protect it from future landslides. 

"Costs are going up at a time when the federal and territorial governments are signalling significant financial pressures of their own that will greatly limit their ability to support municipal needs going forward," Cameron said.

Some of the big-ticket items in this year's capital budget include $4 million for water upgrades in the Crestview neighbourhood, more than $6 million for roof work at the Canada Games Centre and $2.3 million for improvements at the landfill site. 

The city is accepting public comments on the proposed capital budget until Jan. 13, when a public input session is scheduled. Council is expected to vote on the capital budget on Jan. 27.