Township assets receive passing grade

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A report to council on the state of the Township's assets on Monday gave the condition of those assets a grade that would barely earn a "C" on a school test.

The Uxbridge Arena is just one of the Township’s many assets. Cosmos file photo

Andrew Mirabella of Hemson Consulting told councillors that the Township's assets, which include roads, buildings, equipment, culverts, etc., currently have a replacement value of $780 million. Of that total, roads in Uxbridge account for $500 million, or 64 per cent of the assets. The Township's buildings account for $100 million, or 13 per cent.

In assessing the condition of all those assets, Mirabella said 58 per cent of the assets are in good to very good condition. However, 17 per cent are rated as fair and 25 per cent are rated as poor to very poor.

In a separate report, deputy treasurer Carly Somers said all Ontario municipalities must have completed an updated Asset Management Plan by July 1, 2025, which should include proposed levels of service and a lifecycle management and financial strategy. She said the 2025 AMP will provide a lifecycle plan for the 10-year period from 2025-2034.

In discussing the Hemson report, Mayor Dave Barton said he doesn't look at the report as a negative.

"We've made the right moves," he said.