Bill Mauro is urging the provincial and federal governments to give more funding to municipalities struggling during the pandemic.
The mayor is joining other Ontario leaders who are asking for a $10-billion fund.
“Our residents cannot wait any longer,” Mauro says in a video posted to Facebook. “To protect municipal services, we need immediate provincial and federal support to cover lost revenue and additional costs caused by the COVID-19 crisis.”
Mauro adds without support, municipalities may have to raise taxes or cut services to balance their budgets.
“Municipalities across Ontario have been on the front lines of keeping people safe and delivering services during COVID-19. This has meant hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs, and lost revenues,” Mauro says.
He adds that if communities aren’t able to provide those services, they won’t be able to continue re-opening safely.
The call for a $10-billion fund comes from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
