Rothesay Mayor Prepares For Busy 2021

The mayor of Rothesay says 2020 has been a good year for the town, despite the pandemic.

Nancy Grant said the town saw “significant” tax base growth of 3.1 per cent or $41 million this year.

In a year-end interview earlier this month, Grant said the town continued to work on diversifying its housing.

“The second apartment building at 120 Hampton Road was completed and occupied,” she said. “At Central Park, the second condo building is nearing completion.”

Grant said the town has traditionally been large single-family homes, but they are seeing more seniors and single-person households.

Rothesay also continued its flood mitigation work this year by raising a couple of sections of Park Drive and a portion of Elizabeth Parkway.

The town also started construction of a new ball field at the Wells Recreation Park which is slated to open in 2022.

Grant said this past year also saw the development of a draft municipal plan to guide development in the town for 10 years. A public hearing will take place in the new year, she said.

Despite the successes of this year, Grant said they were disappointed not to get funding for their new wastewater treatment plant.

“We’re ready to do the design but we do require, on this expensive project, money from the other levels [of government],” she said. “We’re hopeful for 2021.”

Capital Budget For 2021

2021 is shaping up to be another busy year for capital infrastructure upgrades in Rothesay.

The town’s $5.5-million capital budget includes raising part of Maliseet Drive as part of flood mitigation measures and improving the Clark Road/Spruce Street intersection.

Grant said the town also hopes to resurface Rothesay Road between Fox Farm Road and Appleby Drive.

“It’s in bad condition, but the thing is it is a provincially-designated highway, so we do require the help of the province to maintain it,” she said. “We’ve applied for designated highway funding for that section of the Rothesay Road and we’re really hoping that we’ll get that.”

COVID-19 Impacts

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted municipalities across the country, but Grant said they have not been affected in the same way some other communities have.

Unlike big cities, she said the town does not have to worry about lost revenue from parking, major transit or large entertainment centres.

“Still, we did lose a significant amount from rentals on the arena and the [Bill] McGuire Centre, which is a very busy venue normally,” said Grant. “Of course, we had increased costs like everybody else, and we did save some money along the way.”

Net losses for the town worked out to around $325,000. Grant said they have applied to the province to be reimbursed through the Safe Restart Agreement with the federal government.

Will Grant Run For Mayor Again?

2021 will also see the long-awaited municipal elections, which were delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

While Grant previously announced she would put her name on the ballot again, she is no longer sure about it.

“I announced last February that I would run again. It’s been a hard year so I’ll think about it,” she said.

Grant was first elected to council in 2012 and served as deputy mayor for four years before being elected mayor in 2016.