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Council says no gas tax money for Townline pavement

May 15, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Continuing to lobby for pavement on Mono-Adjala Townline will not influence when the road will get asphalt, according to Mono’s mayor.

Mono resident Anthony Hosein and other residents have in the past brought their concerns about the town’s road conditions to council. He asked when council met May 13 if the town had considered using money from the Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF) to pave the Mono-Adjala Townline road.

Les Halucha, the town’s treasurer, said the CCBF was not considered during the arduous process to ink the 2025 municipal operating and capital budget.

The CCBF was formerly known as the Gas Tax Fund.

Infrastructure priority was given to Bridge 5 on Hurontario Street between Hockley Road and 10 Sideroad. Some of the work on that bridge was paid for by development charges to the town, but the municipality had to cover a portion of the project.

Council didn’t want the bridge work money to influence the tax rate increase, Halucha said. Some projects were delayed and other priorities were shifted in order to free the money for the bridge.

The question of what to do with Bridge 5 has been on the books since 2017.

“I think it’s fair to say that we use every penny of gas tax that we are entitled to,” Mayor John Creelman said. “It’s just that we have different priorities and we applied those different priorities this year.”

Mike Dunmore, the town’s CAO and former public works director, said a roads needs study has been prepared.

“And it should be very clear to Mr. Hosein that the Mono-Adjala Townline was not on the list,” Dunmore said and added that the thoroughfare has not been identified as a road that will be paved in the future.

He said boreholes have recently been drilled as part of preparations for other work on that road.

“Let’s be clear, the investigative work that’s being done on the Townline is not in preparation for paving,” Creelman said. “It is to see what we can do to stabilize the roadbed and make it a better gravel road.”

Councillor Elaine Capes said the 14 residents of that road who signed a recent petition were not asking for pavement. They requested council find a solution to stabilize the road.

“Thank you for noting that they did not ask for paving of the road because I think that’s important to know,” Creelman said. “It’s not going to get paved any faster by continuing this drumbeat.”

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