A3

By Shawn Merrithew

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Nackawic's utilities budget may be in the red, but it is no cause for alarm.

At last week's regular council meeting, acting chief administration officer Kathryn Clark reported August's utilities budget had run into some unexpected costs causing the deficit.

"It is a our waste/water treatment plant project," explained Clark. "We have a lot of engineering bills in there as well as a bill for the mechanical part of the project. We are at $78,000, and we have only budgeted for $24,000.

This leaves the town $54,000 in the red, but Clark assured council the utilities budget will be balanced out by the end of the fiscal year.

"We will be getting a lot of that (money) back," she said.

The town will recoup two thirds of the money, Clark explained, through the Canada-New Brunswick Infrastructure Project, where all three levels of government contribute a third of the cost each. That will put the town's utilities budget back in good standing, she said.

As for the general operating budget, Clark added, the town is in good shape, despite some departments coming close or running slightly over budget. The flood damage last month has caused some headaches and additional unexpected costs, she added. Damages to Otis Drive and Old Bridge Road will have to be repaired, but they will be covered under disaster relief from the province.

"Overall, we are under budget at this point," she said. "We are at 51 per cent spent at 58.3 per cent of the (fiscal) year. We will be okay knowing we have some of this disaster financial assistance. It is definitely making us smile a little bit more."