Sarnia's mayor has joined other mayors from coast-to-coast calling on the prime minister to implement a municipal assistance program and basic income system.
In a letter to Justin Trudeau, Mike Bradley said it's evident municipal revenues will continue to shrink in the months ahead, while community needs grow.
"The fact is when the City of Sarnia, Sarnia council, did the first $1.7 million in cuts, I viewed it personally as our contribution to the COVID war," said Bradley. "Since then, we started to see business failures, we have our own costs we're struggling with and we've ended 160 seasonal positions and student positions in the city, plus we've frozen 20 vacant ones. So, I think it's time for the federal government to assist cities across this country."
Bradley said investing in the cities would help protect their citizens from COVID related concerns.
"Back in 2007, David Miller, the mayor of Toronto, myself and a number of other mayors suggested they should simply have a regular funding program so we didn't have to come cap in hand when we had issues like this where out transit system, social assistance costs, all those things are skyrocketing. The only real base we have to pay for it are property taxes and that's not sustainable. It's not sustainable today, it's not sustainable tomorrow."
Bradley is also urging Trudeau to consider a basic income system for all Canadians. He said it would eliminate the bureaucracy and bring stability to those living under the poverty line with disabilities and other challenges in their daily, economic and social lives.
