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7POLITICSFINANCETuesdayFebruary102015ReBy-Law630ATVBy-LawAsthewinterseasonhasarrivedsohastheappearanceofsnowmobiles.Ownersdriversofsnowmachinesarerequestedtoensurethatthemachineisregisteredandinsured.Theregistrationfeeis35.FailuretodosoWILLresultinseizureofthemachine.Ownersdriversarealsorequestedtorefrainfromusingsnowmachinesinparkshospitalzonesprivatepropertyandplaygroundsandotherareasdesignatedwithsignage.AreminderthatinAxehandleParktheonlyareathatsnowmobilesareallowedisonParkDrive.ForadetaileddescriptiononprohibitedareasandtherulesregulationsontheuseofA.T.V.withinthemunicipalitycopiesoftheBy-LawareavailableatTownHallatnocharge.JustareminderthatyoumustpossessavaliddriverslicensewearahelmetandhavevalidinsuranceandregistrationtodriveasnowmachinewithinTownlimits.EnsureyoursnowmobilingseasonisfunbybeingfamiliarwiththeA.T.V.regulations.RequestacopyofBy-Law630.IfyouhaveanyquestionsconcernspleasecontacttheBy-LawDepartmentat872-8400.TownofFortSmithNoticeAttentionAllTerrainVehicleUsersContinuedfrompage1.Departmentshavetrimmed12.6millionfromtheirbudgetsthisyearinordertomakewayfor24millioninnewinvestmentsin-cludingcloseto5millionforanti-povertyearlychildhoodandmentalhealthinitiatives.Butevenwithasurplusthe100-millioncushiontheGNWTlikestokeepbetweenitsfederalborrowingandthe800-milliondebtceilingisshrinkingstartingoff2015-16at86million.Thatcushionisprojectedtogetsteadilysmalleroverthenextveyearscloserto40millionby2019-20emphasizingtheneedforgreateroperatingsurplusesifthegovernmentisgoingtobeabletomakeanyinfrastructureinvestmentsordebtservic-ingpayments.DepartmentsarelikelygoingtohavetofindotherwaystodownsizeinordertoaccommodateforcedgrowthMilten-bergersaid.WeregoingtokeepsqueezingbudgetshetoldTheJournalduringapre-addresspressconference.WehaveanenormousworkforceandtheconcernaboutwhatsasustainablesizeWevegottolookatemployeecostsandwevegottomakechoicesifitcomestothatpointaboutwhatarethemostimportantprogramshesaid.ThegameplanAtthetopofthegovernmentspriori-tiesisnegotiatinganincreasedborrow-inglimitfromthefederalgovernmentanitemthathasbeenthesubjectoftalksnowforoverayear.TheGNWTwantstoseeitsdebtceilingraisedto1.8billioninordertoinvestininfrastructureitsaysiscriticalforbringingdownthecostoflivingandimprovingqual-ityoflifeintheterritory.Amongthosebigticketitemsareenergy-savingmeasuresforcommunitiestowhichsmallinvestmentshavebeenmadeinthecurrentbudgetincluding4millionforex-ploringpromotingandinstallingalternativeenergysolutionsintheterritory.FurtherinvestmentshavebeenmadetoassistindiversifyingtheNWTsdiamond-heavyeconomyasthoseminesenterthelaststageoftheirlifecycle.Over5millionofthebudgetisdesignatedforbolsteringmineraldevelopmentandtheEconomicOpportuni-tiesStrategywithafocusonagriculturelmandcommercialshing.ThehopeisthatbybringingdownthecostoflivingandcreatingmorejobstheNWTwillbecomeamoreattractiveplacetolivewhichleadstotheGNWTssecondpriorityboostingthepopulationby2000overthenextveyearsinordertoaccessmorefed-eralfunding.Itwillalsomeanmakingtheterritorymoreattractivetobusinessinterestsharkeningbacktotheneedformoreborrowingroomformoreinfrastructurelikeroads.HavingthoseinitiativesprovesuccessfulwilldependonnotraisingtaxesMiltenbergersaidsomethingtheGNWThasmanagedtomaintainoverthelifeofthe17thAssembly.Wehavetobeverycautioushesaid.Israis-ingtaxesasopposedtoexpandingthetaxbasethewayforwardImmoreandmoreconvincedthatweneedtoexpandthetaxbaseratherthanraisetaxes.Raisingtaxesespeciallyinaplacewherewehavethehighestcostsoflivingisachallenge.BudgetHighlights1.12milliontosupporttheEarlyChildhoodDevelopmentActionPlan432000foranintegrativecross-departmentalcasemanagementpilotprojectinYellowknifeandInuvik1.1millionforspecializedcourts646000forlong-termemployableincomeassistance1millioninfundingtosupporthostingthe2018ArcticWinterGames2.46millionforinitiativestosupporttheEconomicOpportunitiesStrategy1.74milliontosupporttheMineralDevelopmentStrategy2.6milliontocontinueeffortstoexplorealternativeenergysourcesincluding700000toinstallsolarpanelson30publichousingunits500000tointegratesolarpanelswiththenewdieselplantinColvilleLake125000tosupportsolarenergysmartgridtechnologyincommunities175000totestthefeasibilityoflarge-scalewind-generatedpowernearStormHillsand325000tocompleteliq-ueednaturalgasfeasibilitystudies694000toestablishtheWesternArcticCentreforGeomaticsinInuvik577000totakeovertheoperationoftheTaigaEnvironmentalLaboratory2.5milliontoenhancethedeliveryofFrenchlanguageservicesandcommunications1.5milliontointegrateregionalHealthandSocialServicesAuthoritiesinforma-tionsystems813000foractionstodecentralizepositionstotheregions3milliontocompletedevolutionimplementationandtofundactivitiesnotiden-tiedintheinitialimplementationprocessincluding1.2milliontoaddresstheimpactofnaldevolutionimplementationactionsonregulardepartmentbudgets1milliontoestablishanewLiabilitiesandFinancialAssurancesDivisionand415000fornewlandsandresourcespecialistsandalegaladvisor.RaisingdebtceilingpopulationkeyprioritiesforNWTImageNWTFinance