SUDBURY -- The surprise of Greater Sudbury's 2020 budget was a decision by the city council to raise property taxes by an extra 1.5 per cent, with the money earmarked for road repairs and other infrastructure improvements.

That option has been suggested by staff for successive budgets but has been rejected by city councillors even as the city's more than $1-billion infrastructure gap grows.

Meeting on Tuesday, city councillors will decide how and where to spend the $4.1 million in revenue the special tax will raise.

A staff report for the June 2 meeting outlines three options: just spend the $4.1 million on projects council approves; leverage the $4.1 million by using it to pay for a 30-year bond that would raise $80 million for infrastructure repairs; or use the money for a 20-year bond that would raise $61 million.

While $4.1 million would be added to the $170 million already planned in capital projects, a host of repairs could be done if the money is used on a bond.

The 20-year bond could accelerate work on Lorne Street, from Power to Logan streets, at a cost of $14.6 million; replace the city's salt and sand dome ($8.25 million); complete the four-laning of the Maley Drive extension ($11 million); and, make $18.2 million available for road repairs in the downtowns in the former communities that make up Greater Sudbury.

The $80 million bond would include all that work, plus more work on Lorne Street, from Logan to Elm Streets ($17.9 million), as well as pool upgrades across the city (about $5 million).

A complete list of the proposed projects and how much they would cost is available here. The finance and administration meeting takes place Tuesday at 4 p.m.