Iqaluit (Oct 16/06) - When voters head to the polls Monday to pick a new city council, those who own homes will also be casting ballots on two major infrastructure projects proposed for the city.

The municipality is seeking public approval to borrow $6 million over five years to build a new city hall and $12 million for a new swimming pool and recreation complex.

A fire truck is parked outside of the Arnaitok civic complex in Iqaluit Thursday. Property owners will decide today, Oct. 16, whether to give the city the green light to borrow millions for new capital projects, including a new city hall. - Chris Windeyer/NNSL photo

Both of the existing facilities are well past their prime and too small for Iqaluit's booming population, according to city staff.

"The swimming pool is the most used recreation facility in Iqaluit and that being said I think it is definitely time for a new facility," acting recreation director Amy Elgersma said.

The existing pool at the Frobisher Inn is 35 years old and nearing the end of its useful life. It also costs $186,000 per year to lease and is very small.

"Eighteen million (for both projects) is a lot of money, but we're in a position right now where city hall is located above the fire station," said finance director John Hussey. "Over the past year or two we've been experiencing some environmental with exhaust fumes coming up into the upper area here."

The city also spends $50,000 per year renting office space nearby for some engineering, public works and human resources staff, Hussey said. It could lease space, but that could cost as much as $450,000 per year.

That's a "veiled threat" according to Keith Irving, vice president of Namminiq Angirraliit Iqalunni, the Iqaluit homeowners' association. Irving said the city has done poorly of late managing its spending and shouldn't be able to get around a plebiscite by leasing office space if it doesn't get the approval its seeking.

Only Iqaluit's roughly 300 ratepayers are allowed to vote in the plebiscite, and Irving suspects they may shoot down the ballot question.

"The need for the project is not in dispute," Irving said. "The present council and administration have a credibility problem with respect to capital plans and financial management."