Budget promises a windfall for capital city

DENISE RIDEOUT

The City of Iqaluit is getting a windfall of money from Nunavut’s department of community government, landing $7.2 million for capital projects next year.

It’s the most money that any of the territory’s 25 communities will receive for municipal infrastructure, such as water, garbage and sewage projects, for 2003-04.

The money is part of the department of community government’s $22-million budget projection for 2003-04.

The money earmarked for Iqaluit is specified as block funding, which means the city can decide which projects to spend it on.

No other individual Nunavut community is getting block funding next year. Instead, the hamlets will receive money for specified projects. For instance, Cape Dorset will get $3.3 million to repair its sewage lagoon and Baker Lake will receive $250,000 to buy a loader.

Iqaluit’s $7.2 million in funding is up significantly from last year, when community government gave the city only $3.9 million for municipal infrastructure projects.

And, between 2004 and 2008, Iqaluit will get another $12 million in block funding.

Iqaluit’s city council will publicly discuss how it plans to use the money during its capital budget session on Dec. 10.

The City of Iqaluit has been lobbying the Nunavut government for more infrastructure money since it became the territory’s capital in 1999.

The assembly’s committee of the whole reviewed the department’s capital expenditures this week, a process in which MLAs get a chance to question the minister on aspects of the budget.

Hunter Tootoo, MLA for Iqaluit Centre, was pleased the department finally made an attempt to help Iqaluit with its massive infrastructure needs.

“I commend the minister and the department for I know it’s not easy to come up with solutions to deal with the magnitude of the crisis that we face here in Iqaluit,” Tootoo said.