Nearly half of Sarnia's capital spending this year, will be done on sewer work.
Sarnia council approved a $29.8 million capital budget for 2019 Tuesday, with 36 projects.
But, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said it doesn't address the city's $388 million infrastructure backlog.
"There's a $6 billion dollar infrastructure deficit across Canada, we are part of that, we recognize that, but, people only have a limited ability to pay," said Bradley. "I would love to have every street paved, every sewer separated, every park at the highest level possible... but you have to make compromises ."
Bradley doesn't like the idea of taking on massive debt to get the work done.
"We were spending 13 to 14 cents on the dollar to satisfy our debt. We were taking that from the taxpayers. We've got it down now to about one or two cents and we use that money that we're not spending to bankers, to re-invest in the community."
Bradley said he's never seen a government yet, move a community forward by going deep in debt.
"They're handicapped, just like a boa constrictor, just as it can be in your personal life," he said. "If you're surrounded by debt, you have limited room to move and if a crisis comes along, you don't have anywhere to move."
$1.28 million has been directed to construction of the oversized load corridor, $1.5 million for the next phase of work on the Donohue Bridge, $2 million for road reconstruction and resurfacing and almost $13 million for sewer work.