Municipalities are on the front lines of COVID-19, and are now facing a financial crisis.
That from the President of the Municipalities Association of Saskatchewan, Gordon Barnhart, who says that’s why the provincial association along with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities is urging the federal government for emergency operating funding of 10 to 15-billion dollars to help cities and communities across the country.
There were no fares for transit for a few months and now fewer fares because of physical distancing, which has been a financial blow to all larger centres.
Recreational facilities were closed, meaning no revenue coming in.
All the while, water and sewer, road maintenance, and other essential services have continued.
Barnhart says the province is handing out the municipal revenue sharing funds in one lump sum and the federal government is doing the same for the gas tax, which helps but it’s not new money.
It’s just money that can be used earlier.
Barnhart feels it’s important for municipalities to come out of the pandemic as healthy as possible because they are key to economic recovery.