Councillors present at the last Battleford council meeting voted for a pre-budget approval that would allow the Town to move forward on infrastructure and facility projects.
Included in the list of future projects to tender is a new arena ice plant, 29th Street and Road 656 paving upgrades and floating pipes, a water pump house and a supply pipe to the water pump house.
The administrative report presented at council and prepared by CAO John Enns-Wind, states that reduced funding from the Build Canada Fund and a five per cent reduction in shared revenue from the provincial sales tax, among other factors, account for an expected 10 per cent drop in projected revenue for the town.
The report goes on to list a number of reasons why pre-approval is necessary now. With the projected dip in revenue compounded with a sluggish economy, projects brought to tender earlier would allow the town to take advantage of the market with the expected eventual result of significant savings.
According to the report, "tenders available in February and March receive better pricing resulting in savings for taxpayers or making taxpayer dollars go further."
The cost of proposed items for pre-approval is $3.5 million, while the overall infrastructure deficit of the town is approximately $28 million.
