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Costs could lower for departments that often use gas or diesel such as the police or fire departments.
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The Carbon Tax's consumer side is set to be taken off on April 1st, lowering costs on some consumer items. That includes the price of gas, diesel, and any item which could potentially be impacted by shipping costs.

For the city, the tax coming off brings a few opportunities, according to Mayor Tony Sernick.

"It's obviously gonna hopefully lower the price of everything, right, especially fuel. I can't remember the actual number, but I do believe there should be up to 18 cents a litre off of fuel. Everything runs on gasoline or diesel. As long as we see the price come down the pumps, which we should, that's good news for everybody."

For the city's finances, a drop in the cost of fuel would affect a number of sectors including the police, fire, and maintenance budgets.

Sernick says that so long as savings do come from the pumps after the tax is taken off the city could see savings on those files.

One part of the tax which will stay on is the business and industrial carbon tax, which could continue to harm some areas.

"It would be nice if it would just be gone period, but we'll wait and see. If it's obviously been taken off, whatever they call it, the consumer side of things. So that's a start, but yeah, we would definitely like to see it gone. Businesses don't absorb that, they pass it on to whoever they're selling their product to. That's just the way business operates."

For any future green initiatives coming through, Sernick says he hopes the federal government takes a look at fostering innovation and growth before taxing and making life more expensive.

That's reflected in his support of Estevan's ongoing energy projects, such as the carbon capture system at Boundary Dam.

Renewable energy is also on the path forward for Estevan, with Sernick wanting to 

"There's no doubt about it, winds of change are blowing, if you will. So again that's one of our goals with the economic development, with the coal transition side of things, is to leave no stone unturned."

Sernick says that the work that southeast organizations like the Tech Hub and Economic Development are doing can help to keep Estevan on top of any new innovations.

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