Drumheller and area municipalities have received the first of two installments of their federal Gas Tax Fund allocation for community infrastructure projects, the feds announced on Friday, July 29.
Drumheller will receive $432,868 in this first installment, with another one slated for later this fiscal year, and Mayor Terry Yemen says the town has a number of different infrastructure projects the funds could support.
The funds, provided by a tax of gasoline sales, come after town officials worked to ensure the municipality met the criteria required by the Canadian government to be eligible for the funding by creating a master plan to show the town’s fiscal responsibility.
“We’re ahead of the curve on a lot of other communities that haven’t taken all the steps that we have taken to insure we’re entitled to the funds this year and for years to come,” said Mayor Yemen.
“We’re certainly happy we’ve been given this money and it’ll be put in use in a number of infrastructure projects in the valley.”
In total, the $109.5 million installment by the federal government will flow through the province to all communities on a per capita basis to support communities’ local infrastructure projects. The province will be provided over $219 million in total this year through the fund, with the next installment coming November.
“The Government of Canada is proud to deliver this predictable, long-term funding to help ensure access to good jobs, increased mobility, greater economic opportunities, sustainable communities, and a higher quality of life,” said Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi.
“Through the federal Gas Tax Fund, communities across Alberta and the rest of Canada direct federal dollars toward their local infrastructure priorities, across a wide range of funding categories.”
Local communities can make investments across 18 different project categories, including roads and bridges, public transit, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and recreational facilities. Communities can use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank the funds for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use it to finance major infrastructure expenditures.
As well as Drumheller, Starland County ($111,654), Wheatland County ($446,669), and Kneehill County ($265,306) received funds, as did area villages and towns including Three Hills ($174,139), Hanna ($144,109), and the villages of Delia, Rockyford, Munson, Morrin, Carbon, and Hussar all receiving $50,000.
The federal Gas Tax Fund makes over $2 billion available each year.
