Moncton City Council is looking at making some tough decisions for next year’s budget following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Preliminary numbers were revealed at a Committee of the Whole meeting yesterday.
Councillor Blair Lawrence put forward a motion to increase operational funding for some local organizations.
“To provide as much support for our quality of life, our cultural groups and our long term organizations who are really doing a lot of leg work on relatively little money compared to the larger pool of especially funds that are coming from the federal government to help a lot of people,” he says.
Council voted in favour of providing an additional $10,000 each to Moncton Headstart, the Atlantic Ballet and Multicultural Association as well as an extra $5 ,000 for theatre l’Escaouette to the proposed total $83 450.
This means an additional $118,000 on top of the 1.4 million recommended by city staff for a number of local cultural, social and immigration groups.
However, finding the money is proving to be a challenge since the municipality is also dealing with the impacts COVID-19 has had on their revenue from things like parking and public transit.
Councillor Paul Pellerin suggested focusing on providing mental health and addiction services rather than new environmental initiatives.
But Councillor Paulette Theriault says these issues go hand in hand.
“I think that many, many people, especially young people, are depressed today because they are concerned for their future and I really think we can’t leave that out of our picture,” she says.
Councillor Brian Hicks thinks the money should come out of the city’s 7-million dollar operational stabilizing reserve.
“It’s a tax that’s already been payed by taxpayers for services they have not yet received, we used to call it a rainy day fund. This certainly isn’t a rainy day, these are rainy, rainy months,” says Hicks.
City staff will bring forward an updated version of the budget for deliberation in November.
