Cape Breton municipalities readying to ramp up infrastructure

Municipalities across Cape Breton Island are preparing to ramp up infrastructure projects, thanks to this week's federal budget.

The budget proposes to double gas tax rebates to municipalities across the country this year.

Cecil Clarke, mayor of Cape Breton Regional Municipality, said he expects that will double CBRM's $6.8-million payment to $13.6 million.

That means CBRM can now consider using the new money to leverage more federal-provincial infrastructure funding on other projects, he said.

"It's not insignificant, even as a one-time amount of money," said Clarke.

"It will have a very real, tangible benefit, but we have to look at whatever we spend it on being already identified as a need for one of our infrastructure priorities, versus just coming up with spending because we have new money."

Clarke said council may consider advancing projects that are only in the planning stages, such as the redevelopment of Charlotte Street in Sydney, or Commercial Street in Glace Bay.

It may also consider wastewater work, roads or other projects the municipality couldn't otherwise afford.

"This is a positive for us," Clarke said. "It puts another tool in the chest that we can use to try and make some improvements and deal with our infrastructure deficits."

CBRM has a draft capital budget of $46.5 million, which is already an increase of about 37 per cent over last year's capital spending.

Clarke said the capital budget will be finalized sometime after the provincial budget comes down next week.

Internet a priority in Inverness, Victoria counties

Victoria and Inverness counties are eying the new money for broadband internet.

Inverness council has already set rural internet expansion and water and wastewater projects as priorities, said chief administrative officer Keith MacDonald.

The federal gas tax increase will likely mean an extra $700,000 for Inverness, he said, which would certainly help.

Council is working on its budget now and should have it finalized by June, MacDonald said.

Victoria County held a strategy session earlier this year and set broadband expansion as its number one priority, said Jocelyn Bethune, the municipality's communications officer.

The municipality also wants to improve housing for seniors and workers, she said.

Victoria County's budget is expected to be finalized in mid-April.

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