Two municipalities in Prescott-Russell are receiving transit funding from provincial gasoline tax revenue, but the exact projects the money will be spent on have not been decided yet.
The city of Clarence-Rockland will receive $245,147.
According to Mayor Guy Desjardins, all that money will go to Clarence-Rockland Transpo (CRT), the municipality’s bus transit service.
CRT provides service within the municipality but is also used by commuters who travel to work daily in Ottawa.
Desjardins said no decision has been made yet about which specific aspects of CRT will be offset by gas tax revenues.
He did note though that the amount is far below what it costs to operate the buses and does not cover CRT’s deficit.
Budget figures for public transit in Clarence-Rockland are not available for 2019 yet, but in 2018, the city anticipated more than $1.2 million in revenue for the service, and expenses of more than $1.8 million, leading to a deficit of approximately $447,000.
Russell Township is receiving $148,193.
Mayor Pierre Leroux said it will be used for road or bridge infrastructure, but no specific project has been selected yet.
Leroux said that decision will be made during upcoming budget meetings.
The gasoline tax in Ontario is 14.7 cents per litre and is built into the price drivers pay at the pumps. It is separate from the 13 per cent HST that is also built into the price.
The provincial government grants a portion of the gas tax revenue to municipalities for public transit, which can include roads in municipalities where there is no public transit bus service.
