Chatham-Kent and other municipalities across Ontario are getting a helping hand from the province as they contend with COVID-ravaged budgets.
The province is jumping in with $695 million to help out municipalities ensuring they do not go into 2021 with a deficit after all the spending to battle the many effects of COVID-19.
$300 million will be split up between all 444 municipalities in Ontario, with $396 million being divided amongst the 48 hardest hit regions.
Chatham-Kent CFO Gord Quinton says our share works out to $1,165,000.
“The money will assist making up for COVID-19 related shortfalls in our 2021 budget,” Quinton says in a statement emailed to the 99.1 newsroom. “As reported at the December 14th Council meeting, our 2020 COVID-19 negative impact was approximately net $4.2 million in lost revenues and increased expenses which was supported by the first round of Safe Restart Funding received in September.”
The timing is meant to coincide with when municipalities are putting together their 2021 operating budgets, and is an add on to the original Safe Restart program announced in the summer.