By Maureen Weinberger
June 25th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
Dear Editor,
Lost revenue due to COVID-19 will have an immediate and devastating impact on the ability of our local government to deliver the vital services we all rely on.
Halton continues to be impacted by pandemic-related expenditures that are estimated to cost over $10 million by year-end.
Municipal governments provide vital services that include emergency response, transit, public housing, long term care, day care, libraries, recreation and many more services we take for granted on a daily basis.
We have already seen municipalities who are facing serious financial shortfalls, being forced to defer important projects, reduce services and lay off, furlough or redeploy the workers that provide these services.
Municipal governments are an important economic driver in our communities and in the greater Canadian economy. The emerging municipal crisis could act as a destabilizing force for our national economy. In addition, mass funding shortfalls at the municipal level would result in significant delays in local economic recovery and an increase in the numbers of community members who are experiencing lay off, reduced wages or job loss.
The Canadian Labour Congress has asked for immediate action from the provincial and federal government to provide emergency funding for municipalities in order to protect vital local services. Please join me in amplifying this call to save our cities, towns, and municipalities from financial devastation by providing immediate emergency assistance.
Maureen Weinberger is the President of the Oakville & District Labour Council
