Fuel price relief, road funding proposal
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 09/01) - The good news budget that will be unveiled next week will include relief for community governments coping with high fuel prices and a proposal that could pave the way to speedier reconstruction of Hwy 3.
 Joe Handley |
"Essentially we recognized their costs as a community government had increased and we've allocated money to offset it," said MACA director Gay Kennedy.
"I don't think it will be 100 per cent (of the increase), but it will be the best we can do right now."
At the request of minister Roger Allen, the Financial Management Board has approved a payment to community governments on April 1.
The payment would require a supplementary appropriation in this year's budget and would offset a portion of the increases that have occurred this fiscal year. Payments for the coming fiscal year would be added to the monthly funding MACA provides.
Kennedy said the community governments would be free to spend the money whatever way they see fit.
Finance Minister Joe Handley will spell out the details of the government's spending plan for 2001-2002 in a budget address on Thursday.
At constituency meetings this week, he hinted at some of the things it might contain.
"I think there's some reasonably good news in there, given our fiscal situation," the Weledeh MLA told the handful of constituents who attended an informal gathering at the Visitor's Centre Tuesday night.
A recurring request to speed up reconstruction of Hwy 3 was repeated to Handley both that evening and the next night at a public meeting hosted by all Yellowknife MLAs.
"Wait until budget day," said Handley with a knowing smile. "We'll see on the 15th. We have to do something on infrastructure, otherwise our roads are going to disappear."
With nothing but silence as a response to has developed a proposal one MLA said could raise "millions of dollars" from road reconstruction.
Handley has also said the government will be looking to provide jobs to all university students returning to the North this year, indicating the Working Together program will be extended for another year.
Under the program, the government provides wage subsidies to businesses employing students.
