Media Releases

Council Approves 2024-25 Water and General Capital Budget

March 26, 2024

Amherst Town Council approved a Water and General Capital budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year of just over $4.9 million when it met on Monday night, March 25, 2024.

“Each year, staff present Council with the Water and General Capital budgets, and this process allows us to continue maintaining resources, upgrading infrastructure, and delivering the services that our citizens depend on,” said Mayor David Kogon. “We have a great team at the Town of Amherst who worked very hard to prepare these documents that will guide operations over the next fiscal year.”

Amherst’s CAO, Jason MacDonald, shared some insight on the Town’s financial situation: “We feel it is important to note that, due to the positive financial position of the Town, we are able to make these strategic investments without impacting the municipal tax rate and without borrowing funds. This is due to the combination of prudent decision making by Council, and sound operational management from directors and staff.”

Water Capital

Capital projects budgeted for the Town’s water utility in 2024-2025 total $465,600, including $180,000 for the purchase of a new backhoe. This piece of heavy equipment is the workhorse of the water utility’s tool box, being used for nearly every project. The current backhoe – always intended to be replaced this year – is a 2019 model with more than 2,600 accumulated operating hours.

Over the last 30 years, three of four well pumps at the North Tyndal Wellfield have been replaced, leaving one original pump in operation. This budget allocates $60,000 to the replacement of this final pump, which will likely be re-built and kept as an emergency back-up unit.

An amount of $31,000 is budgeted for the replacement of water meters and fire hydrants. And, nearly $195,000 is assigned to fund the installation of water infrastructure for new housing developments in Amherst, including a new subdivision in the area of Russell Street, a new development in the area of upper Church Street, and the creation of approximately 10 new building lots with the extension of Marshview Drive.

Large Multi-Category Projects

Focus continues on residential development with a budget of nearly $1.2 million to construct street and sewer infrastructure, as well as curbs and sidewalks, to fully prepare the Russell Street, upper Church Street, and Marshview Drive areas for development. These investments will facilitate the construction of approximately 70 new dwelling units in these areas.

Equipment

Council is committed to providing staff with the tools they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently. Additional budget lines include $275,000 for the purchase of a new articulating wheel loader. A 1-ton dump truck/salt truck will also be purchased for $110,000.

Police and Fire

Council has approved a $393,000 investment in Amherst’s Police and Fire services to ensure the continued safety of our first responders, as well as the people they serve.

Specific items planed for the Police Department include updates to the radio and dispatch systems, as well as purchasing a new patrol vehicle to replace Unit #1. Additionally, a $250,000 grant from the Nova Scotia Department of Justice will fully fund the purchase of a Virtual Firearms Training Platform.

The Fire Department’s capital budget funding will allow replacement of specialized firefighting gear and apparatus, and fire station maintenance equipment.

Buildings/Land

A budget of $273,000 has been assigned to cover projects such as installation of security cameras at the public works garage and the replacement of existing cameras at the Amherst Stadium ($8,000 and $13,000 respectively). A $50,000 investment will also be made at the Amherst Stadium, for replacement of the Wi-Fi equipment, while $125,000 has been assigned to implement accessibility improvements at Town Hall.

Streets

Just over $1 million is earmarked for paving projects over the upcoming fiscal year, with $643,000 being drawn from the Canada Community Building Fund, and $148,100 coming from the General Operating fund. The latter amount of $148,100 will be used to implement repairs to the CN Rail crossing on Anson Avenue. Additional streets set to be re-paved are:

Agnew Street – from Clarence to Havelock
Allison Avenue – from Elmwood to Spring
Anson Avenue – from the CNR tracks to Chandler, and from Cornwall to Hickman
Arlington Avenue – in total
Beacon Street – Croft to Church
Havelock Street – Prince Arthur to Spring
Robie Street – Clarence to Havelock
Sackville Road – Erncliffe to Rambler
Townshend Avenue – Academy to Charles
Rupert Street – Victoria to Spring

Sidewalks

A total of $119,000 has been budgeted for various sidewalk and trail projects in Amherst over the coming fiscal year. Specifically, several sidewalks have been identified for replacement at a cost of $62,000, including:

LaPlanche Street – east side, Victoria to Lawrence
Cornwall Street – Anson to Cordova
Beacon Street – Croft to Church
West Victoria - south side, Hickman to CNR

Tactile indicator plates are designed to be detectable underfoot when walking. Plates will be installed at the intersection of Victoria and Havelock Streets, as well as at the mid-block crosswalk on Victoria at Town Hall. The cost of these installations will be $10,000. These new indicator plates will match the work that was completed last year at the intersection of Victoria and Church Streets, and will help provide a safer environment for residents with visual impairments.

A brand-new sidewalk will be constructed on Derby Street, which will connect pedestrians exiting the marsh trail to the town’s existing sidewalk network at Victoria Street, and vice versa. The cost of the new Derby Street sidewalk is set at $18,000.

In order to close an identified gap in our active transportation infrastructure, $19,000 has been allotted to construct a new pedestrian trail from the Clinton Street and Fernwood Drive areas to the NSCC campus. An informal trail already exists as a number of residents use this route, but a properly constructed trail will be safer and provide better access for these users while providing a welcome addition to our walking trail system.

Recreation

Capital funding for Recreation has been set at $838,000, which includes funding for an accessible playground that is contingent upon receipt of $400,000 from provincial, Federal and community grants. Additional projects include $19,000 for the development/purchase and placement of a memorial stone and storyboard in Memorial Park for the No. 2 Construction Battalion, $10,000 for the addition of new four-stream waste receptacles in parks, and installation of three new scoreboards at the Robb Complex at a cost of $70,000.

Storm/Sanitary Sewers

An amount of $50,000 has been allocated to rebuild sewer lift station pumps. This funding is anticipated to be repeated for the next four years to allow rebuilding of the Town’s 17 wastewater pumps.

The Water and General Capital budgets are funded through the Water Operating Budget, the Water Depreciation Fund, the General Operating Budget, Capital and Operating Reserves, the Canada Community Building Fund, and various grants from provincial and federal levels of government.