City council has delayed a stiff increase in the budget of Orillia’s proposed recreation complex amid cost concerns.

“The tens of thousands of dollars keep mounting and mounting and mounting, and frankly, I don’t want to be part of committing to any further expenditures,” said Coun. Don Evans.

Council on Monday approved the city’s 2008 capital budget, but tabled a proposed $5.5-million hike in the budget of the long-delayed recreation project.

Maurice McMillan and Paul Spears, both away at a conference, should have the opportunity to participate in the decision, members agreed.

Evans said he regretted having voting in favour of the increase when it was presented during budget deliberations earlier this month.

“We are charged with representing the people that voted for us and doing our best to respond to them, and think about how their tax dollars are being spent,” he added.

The mounting cost estimate reflects the continued delays faced by the project, said Coun. Ralph Cipolla.

He said the proposed $63-million budget is only an estimate, and that council would ultimately decide whether the project proceeds in its current form.     

 “I don’t think anybody can make an intelligent decision until such time as we get the tenders back,” he told Evans during a brief, post-meeting debate.

Turning momentarily to a new library planned for the downtown, Cipolla said all municipal projects, even those with a bookish bent, could be hit by rising costs.

Increasing the MURF budget is simply sound planning, he said.

“You have to do it in order to protect yourself against the price of steel, all kinds of stuff,” he added.
Meanwhile, a group of residents angered by the MURF’s escalating costs have planned a public meeting to discuss the project’s soaring price tag.

“Additional costs will be required to deal with the extreme levels of dangerous chemicals, including trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride, both on and off the site and, of course, potential liability issues from adjacent landowners,” the group warned in a letter this week.

Cipolla plans to attend the meeting, taking place March 6 at Twin Lakes Secondary School beginning at 7 p.m.

Evans also intends to attend, but Coun. Wayne Gardy does not.

“It is not in my best interest,” Gardy said. “It is not in anybody’s best interest until some of the things we are talking about now are decided. The people who are having the meeting don’t have the answers.”