The 2009 Saugeen Shores budget by-law has been approved.
Several project tenders have already been accepted and one councillor would like to see some extra work done on one particular project.
The budget passed the Committee of the Whole level back on March 23 but had to still be subject to the period allowing for public comments, and for the Bruce County budget to be passed.
The over 36 million dollar budget includes over 17.8 million dollars in capital projects and tenders for several of them have been approved by council.
One of them is worth over 352 thousand dollars to reconstruct Mill Street in Port Elgin between Goderich Street and Wellington Street.
The tender is under the budgeted amount of 520 thousand dollars. Councillor Luke Charbonneau wants the leftover money be used to put the electrical services in the section from Goderich to Bricker Streets underground.
Charbonneau says it’s good foresight look ahead and beautify the downtown area and put the “ugly” power lines underground.
Councillor Fred Schildroth and Mayor Mike Smith say they’d like to see how much the work would cost before deciding if it should be done.
Work on the street could begin as soon as June 1st.
Charbonneau is pleased that the project will add parking spaces on both sides of Mill Street between Bricker and Hillcrest, which he says will help alleviate the parking shortage in downtown Port Elgin.
Other tenders approved include those for rural road paving and gravel, and new watermains on Breadalbane Street in Southampton and Bruce Road 13.
A contract 138 thousand dollar contract for new waste water treatment equipment was also approved.
Saugeen Shores is taking in over 7.9 million dollars in tax revenue this year, up by three percent from 2008.