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Ongoing fed support ‘essential’ as pandemic has laid bare cracks in ‘outdated’ municipal financing system, say experts
By Mike Lapointe March 3, 2021
Even with economic recovery in sight after a brutal year that saw deep holes cut into municipal revenues across the country, experts are calling for a rethink of our expectations from our cities.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Garth Frizzell, right. Mr. Frizzell called the federal government's allocation of $19-billion through the Safe Restart Agreement last year 'essential' as municipalities do not have nearly the same borrowing capacity as the two higher levels of government. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade, photograph courtesy of Twitter
The COVID-19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc on government finances has exposed existing cracks in how cities across the country are financed, according to experts, with Federation of Canadian Municipalities president Garth Frizzell calling the system “outdated” as the federal government continues to come to the rescue of cash-strapped cities across the country.
Mike LapointeMike Lapointe joined the The Hill Times in June 2019 and covers the federal public service, deputy ministers, the Privy Council Office, public service unions, the Phoenix pay system, the machinery of government, and the Parliament Hill media.
Follow - mlapointe@hilltimes.com
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