Mayor Jim Scarrow is hopeful federal money announced in Tueday's budget may make its way to Prince Albert.
"I am very pleased it is wide ranging," he said, expressing cautious hope that some of the infrastructure spending may make its way here.
"What's difficult to determine right now is what's for Saskatchewan and more important, what's for Prince Albert."
Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released the Canada Economic Action Plan on Tuesday and vowed to spend upwards of $30 billion on various infrastructure, tax breaks, skills training and development funds for the forestry, agriculture, environment and other industries across Canada.
Scarrow said the currently understood plan for funding distribution concerns him, noting a similar formula is being used for the much-criticized Canada Builds fund, from which the city is unable to obtain any "shovel-ready" project approved for funding.
"Municipalities have been stretched on infrastructure building over a number of years," he said. "If they use the same formula ... many cities will be hard pressed to come up with their share."
Prince Albert MP Randy Hoback said he is aware of the issues surrounding the Canada Builds fund and the questions with the new infrastructure fund, but believes the fund will go a long way to helping the city with some of its infrastructure issues.
Some things discussed include upgrades to the water treatment and sewage plants.
"We're still looking for details on that," he said. "Part of that is the co-operation with the province in making sure we've got an efficient manner in delivering the funds."
Hoback also said the budget will go a long way to helping various aspects of the community, from tax breaks for the two lowest income brackets to help for seniors to funding for First Nations issues such as affordable housing, retraining and infrastructure.
"There's something in it for everybody," he said. "It's money being left in your jeans to spend how you see fit."
Although Scarrow expressed optimism at the proposed plans for the budget, he said the true impact of the budget would be in the finer aspects .
"The devil is in the details."
kjarvis@paherald.sk.ca
'Devil is in the details': Scarrow
'Devil is in the details': Scarrow
City still waiting on more details of the federal budget
Mayor Jim Scarrow is hopeful federal money announced in Tueday's budget may make its way to Prince Albert.
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Comments
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- somewhat agrees
- - November 20th, 2009 at 13:47:26
Now I would like to know what singer worth seeing was $30.00 and I have yet to see a comidian under $55.00 . All I was saying is a larger venue would have generated more interest , more money , and reduced costs and maybe this place could have been self-sufficiant instead of using taxpayers $$$ .
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- hairbag007
- - November 20th, 2009 at 13:35:03
6 days ago Scarrow was so certain he was getting federal money that he was confident enough to say no new taxes, we had a date with the recession, blah blah, blah, etc, etc. Now he is saying the devil is in the details? He is using this as an excuse so come october at election time he can say Ottawa screwed PA over, not him. His reasoning is the exact same as if I were to say, I don't need to go to work today because I might win 6-49 tonight. What a joke!
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- somewhat agrees
- - November 20th, 2009 at 12:06:42
I somewhat agree with gramma , except for the ea rawlinson center , I mean this place is costing us as taxpayers alot of money for an elite few tat can afford the overpriced tickets . And I do know the prices have to be high to cover costs because the facility wasn't built big enough to sell enough fairly priced tickets to get in any of the larger shows that money generating can do .
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- agrees with
- - November 20th, 2009 at 05:10:17
Boy did that last comment nail alot of issues right on the head ...... time for a housecleaning (or should i say cityhall clleaning) , let's get some young blood and vision this time , or at the very least let's get Stiglitz back , at least he did what he said he would do and wouldn't talk politicalize all the time , the common taxpayer knew where he stood at least . He didn't sugarcoat or buck pass !
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- Deb
- - November 20th, 2009 at 02:32:30
umm, the Rawlinson centre and the rink both are heavily subsidized by the city; they should be on their own and run like a business.
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- umm
- - November 19th, 2009 at 14:27:28
i agree with gramma, these tickets by the way at the rawlinson centre maybe pricy by ur standards but not by others..their shows usually sell out and offer a wide variety of entertainment, either u pay 30$ for a singer, comedian etc or u pay 16$ to watch the raiders loose, either way ppl have their different opinions on entertainment and each facility makes money for the city. Also to gramma there was a poll that the public was invited to take park in asking the residents what they would rather see in this city, a pool, soccer centre, park etc and the soccer centre won.
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- dougie
- - November 19th, 2009 at 07:56:34
Does anyone believe they are better off than they were when Scarrow and his troops took over this city ? Can we trust them to do what's best for us citizens ? I don't think so. We need a change.
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- Devil in the details?
- - November 19th, 2009 at 00:11:46
Isn't it so co-incidental that just the other day in the no tax increase comment during the address to the city by our mayor he mentioned all the gov't money . I find it strange that now he comments that he hopes that some of the money may make it's way here ..... can we all say confused . He is confident there is so much ion the fed/prov coffers for us one minute and only hoping that it is there in the next . Lets start by also reflecting what happened federally and realize that we are (by no increases in taxes yet increasing spending) creating more deficit . Now lets rant about the soccer center and the the added costs to us taxpayers for this glorified quonsit . If we are going into debt over this (in my opinion) all done wrong facility , why not go in enough to make it look like something we can be proud for city visitors to see . And why not make it more of a multi use facility like the smaller city of melfort has built with their rink/pool . I mean lets do this right because it's already too late because we've thrown so much money away already . What the heck lets put in a box for the current mayor in there as well and put another $3000.00 leather chair in there for him to watch all the games .
It's time for our city to get a younger mayor (like North Battleford did) with some vision and not just someone content with coasting and dwelling in the past with the mill (it's done let's look aty new ventures to invite for crying out loud). -
- Deppression is here
- - November 18th, 2009 at 22:49:06
we are in trouble the soccor field house was a huge waste of money, other things could of did better for our city.
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- Steve
- - November 18th, 2009 at 22:17:46
Worst mayor ever!
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- the brain
- - November 18th, 2009 at 20:50:27
This council spends money on useless, poorly planned luxuries. Art Hauser Centre, E.A Rawlinson centre, Soccer Centre named after a british foreigner.
This council is drunk with spending, and have thier priorities backwards. I for one plan to try to put an end to this madness by running for council in the upcoming municiple elections.
We also need provisions that block council members from spending unless they have citizen approval. Why did Moosejaw have a city wide vote on the new facility that council proposed? In dirty corrupt little P.A we back door funding under the disguise of the Debt elimination levy for a unpopular soccer fieldhouse. How are we eliminating debt by paying this levy? Are we not just setting are selves up for more debt due to ongoing annual maintenance costs plus obvious budget shortfalls for the initial costs?
Most of this council has to go with the exception of General Lee Atkinson and Shawn Williams who have opposed this madness from day one. -
- gramma
- - November 18th, 2009 at 19:39:17
To the brain I just hae to say somthing here . The Art Hauser Center and the E.A. Rawlinson centre are two of the best things in P.A. There are many great shows and hockey at these two places You have to admit that when there is things going on , it brings money into P.A. As far as the soccer center I agree with you, especially that there should hae been a city vote just like Moose Jaw.
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- Devil in the details?
- - November 18th, 2009 at 14:35:13
Isn't it so co-incidental that just the other day in the no tax increase comment during the address to the city by our mayor he mentioned all the gov't money . I find it strange that now he comments that he hopes that some of the money may make it's way here ..... can we all say confused . He is confident there is so much ion the fed/prov coffers for us one minute and only hoping that it is there in the next . Lets start by also reflecting what happened federally and realize that we are (by no increases in taxes yet increasing spending) creating more deficit . Now lets rant about the soccer center and the the added costs to us taxpayers for this glorified quonsit . If we are going into debt over this (in my opinion) all done wrong facility , why not go in enough to make it look like something we can be proud for city visitors to see . And why not make it more of a multi use facility like the smaller city of melfort has built with their rink/pool . I mean lets do this right because it's already too late because we've thrown so much money away already . What the heck lets put in a box for the current mayor in there as well and put another $3000.00 leather chair in there for him to watch all the games .
It's time for our city to get a younger mayor (like North Battleford did) with some vision and not just someone content with coasting and dwelling in the past with the mill (it's done let's look aty new ventures to invite for crying out loud).
