Adoption of 2025 Investment Plans

Nov 26, 2024

At a special public meeting, Edmundston City Council recently adopted the investment plans for the General Operations Fund and the Water, Sewer and Energy Funds.

Investments in the three funds combined total more than $25 million this year. As always, most of the proposed investments are conditional on obtaining federal/provincial grants and the approval of loan applications.

For 2025, a large part of the proposed investments is aimed at updating ageing municipal equipment and infrastructure.  "When it comes to investments, Council has to make decisions that are both strategic and reasonable. In recent years, we have had to focus on replacing ageing assets scattered throughout the city and on projects that strengthen our position in terms of sustainable development," explained Mayor Éric Marquis.

The proposed investments are broken down as follows:

• General operations fund:                $11,178,600
• Water and sewer utility fund:            $3,561,475
• Energy Utilities Fund:                     $10,935,000

Targeted investments include $10 million to begin a major upgrade of a substation in the Saint-Basile sector, including its rehabilitation and adding a power transformer to ensure the reliability of the network and increase its long-term distribution capacity. An amount of 1.6 million is targeted for the purchase of a tanker truck and a pumper truck for the Fire Department. Funds are also set aside to renew the fleet of vehicles and heavy equipment in various departments.

The investment plans for 2025 include a functional technical program to begin planning renovations to the Saint-Basile Arena, as well as various amounts for repairs to municipal buildings and infrastructure.

Funds have been earmarked for actions that could result from the hydraulic study currently underway in the Saint-Jacques sector. Funds are also earmarked for the development of part of the Petit-Sault civic park to incorporate an “Alley of the Arts” to honour inductees into the Edmundston Arts Hall of Fame, a collaborative project involving a committee of citizens.

Despite proposed investments of more than $25 million, borrowing of just $2.3 million will be required for the general operating fund, $150,000 for the water and sewer utility fund, and $7,500,000 for the energy utility fund, allowing the debt to be managed effectively and sustainably. 

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 CONTACT: Mayor Eric Marquis, 506.739.2115, eric.marquis@edmundston.ca