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Cartmell said he’s worried that if the United Conservative Party comes to power following the 2019 provincial election, leader Jason Kenney will make good on his promise to scrap the current government’s carbon tax, which Premier Rachel Notley said is where the funding for the LRT expansion is coming from.

“If city council backs the west LRT, and funding support evaporates, the west LRT could become the only project we can afford to build for many years,” Cartmell stated. “If the city has to go it alone on the west LRT, it will consume all of our available borrowing capacity and we won’t be able to build much of anything else.”

Following the provincial funding announcement, Opposition house leader Jason Nixon said the UCP would not cancel projects already approved if the party is elected in 2019.

“Jason Kenney has also been extremely clear existing projects that have already been approved … would continue under our government,” he told reporters.

Cartmell said that while he would like to support the project, and is generally supportive of mass transit, he doesn’t think this particular project is prudent or completely well thought out, citing possible vehicle traffic congestion issues and the potential for transit technology to come along that would make the proposed low-floor tram obsolete.

“At some time we have to be able to make decisions, recognizing that there are always new things that come out,” said Ward 1 Coun. Andrew Knack. He doesn’t share Cartmell’s apprehension about the funding drying up if there is a change in government following the provincial election.

Knack said he’s always happy to discuss alternatives, but that it’s a reality that there are traffic challenges in the west end, and the process is moving forward.

Council will begin debating city’s proposed spending — including for transit projects — and tax increases for the next four years beginning on Nov. 28.

pparsons@postmedia.com

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