LOOK AHEAD: Municipality of Tweed

2023 is just hours away and that means a lot of work for the Municipality of Tweed.

Newly elected Mayor Don Degenova says budget deliberations begin in January.

“But I do know of one significant project that we are going to be struggling with and that is a major road requiring repair in the village, which is going to be in the neighbourhood of about $5 million.”

The road work, which also includes water and wastewater, is at the site of the newly constructed Tweed Public School.

He says to find $5 million, when their whole budget is $13 million, is a mountain of a task.

“When you’re a small community, when you have 52 bridges, 850 kilometres of road, one project can just wipe you right out.”

Degenova says he would like to see provincial or federal funding to assist with the tornado cleanup efforts, which cost millions in property damage, and destroyed tens of thousands of trees.

“So we can let people know in our community, if they are going to be eligible and if they are, what they are going to be eligible for.  We still have not heard and on her last day, Mayor (Joanne) Albert wrote a scathing letter and that was on November 14th.”

Expanding residential development, a new affordable housing complex, creating a fitness facility, a new library, and a retirement home are all on Degenova’s list

He says showcasing the small hamlet communities around Tweed and installing hamlet halls with generators would be critical.