By Leah Murray

Medicine Hat weighs in ahead of provincial budget

Mar 15, 2017 | 5:52 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci will table the provincial budget tomorrow.

Ceci has said his budget will focus on front line services and will highlight how the government is working to reduce costs and lower the deficit.

The Canadian Press reported that Thursday’s budget will also have money for nine replacement schools and seven modernizations.

The projects are expected to create 6,800 brand new spaces and 6,000 replacement spaces in 15 municipalities.

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Education Minister David Eggen did not confirm that but did say the province is trying to keep up with growing enrolment numbers.

Last week the government tabled legislation to reduce school fees.

School boards in Medicine Hat said they will be watching to see how the province plans to replace that money.

For School District 76 it will likely leave a $500,000 to $900,000 funding gap.

“We’re just curious to see exactly how that rolls out and whether or not it’s an exact match to the fees we lose,” said Superintendent Mark Davidson.

The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education said they are hoping to see some funding to help offset the cost of the carbon tax on schools.

“We don’t have the money within the budget right now specifically identified for the carbon tax,” said MHCBE treasurer Greg MacPherson. “We would hope that the money the government’s collecting from the carbon tax be returned to school boards.”

The Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce is hoping to see a number of things included in the budget but they also want to see some spending restraint to lower the provincial debt.

Chamber president Aaron Fleming added they want to see the NDP hold off on increases to the carbon tax and minimum wage.

He said constant changes and increases could impact whether or not businesses decide to invest in Alberta because it makes it difficult to budget.

“We’d like to see the impact that it’s having on business before any further changes are being made, those impacts haven’t been realized and haven’t been quantified,” said Fleming.

The City Medicine Hat relies on around $11 million in municipal sustainability funding from the province to support infrastructure projects every year.

Mayor Ted Clugston said he’s worried the funding may be scaled back to cut costs for the government.

“I think we’re all aware that the province is cash-strapped,” said Clugston. “They are deficit financing just to keep the lights on, so they will be looking to cut costs and one of the easiest things to do is to download onto municipalities.”

Despite an ever increasing deficit, Ceci said his focus will be on investments for Alberta families and he believes his plan is affordable.

We’ll find out exactly what that plan is when the budget is tabled in the legislature tomorrow.

We will have full coverage of the budget Thursday on the CHAT TV News at 5:30 and 6:30 P.M., and right here on www.chatnewstoday.ca