The federal government is accelerating gas tax payments to cities during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sarnia's mayor says more needs to be done to help struggling cities.
Municipalities are getting full 2020-21 payments now, instead of in two installments like normal.Mayor Mike Bradley said he is disappointed that the government is acting like a "payday loan company."
"They're advancing money that they were going to have to give us anyhow by the end of the year," he said. "And they didn't change the terms of what we can do with that fund, we need to continue to use it for infrastructure. We were looking for more flexibility to deal with transit issues, social services issues and homelessness issues right across from coast to coast. They claim they're going to come back with more, but it would be helpful if they did it now."
Bradley said there is one positive to take away from the announcement.
"The thing that I will applaud them on is that they used an existing program to send the money out which makes it simpler. Given the fact that the desperate need is out there in some of the major cities, and some of the smaller cities, they need to act sooner than later. Work with the provinces, get rid of that roadblock, and get the money flowing."
The government is making $2.2 billion available to municipalities through these gas tax payments.
In the past, Sarnia-Lambton's share has been about $7 million.