The president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities is sounding the alarm about the federal government's recent announcement that it will no longer fund certain municipal road infrastructure projects. Kam Blight explains that Minister Steven Guilbeault recently shared the news.
"There were some comments questioning his remarks," explains Blight. "He has tried to clarify that and suggested that they're just referring to large municipal road projects. Municipalities are sounding the alarm on this. This is really concerning because, once again, we don't know what the true definition of a large road infrastructure project would truly be."
He notes the bottom line is that municipalities across this country are responsible for over 60 per cent of the public road infrastructure network, and yet only receive less than ten cents of every tax dollar.
"In order for us to accommodate the increase in population across the country and our municipalities, as well as promote, foster, and try and develop more economic growth, we need funds to further develop our road infrastructure networks," continues Blight. "This is very, very concerning. This comment, to us, just speaks to concerns that we have that our federal government is not in tune with the needs of municipalities across this country."
He says the AMM will push back against this move quite aggressively and sound the alarm.
"Other municipal associations across this county are trying to raise awareness that municipalities need a more proactive municipal growth framework that is more in tune with the needs of municipalities, to help us accommodate the population and the economic growth that we are all witnessing across our country."
Blight explains that they will continue to pressure the government and try to help them better understand the challenges that municipalities are facing and the reasoning and need for increased funding.
"The Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board of Directors will be meeting in March," continues Blight. "We are in constant contact with our sister associations across this country. We will be continuing the dialogue with them to see what our next steps will be, to make sure that we are raising awareness of the very serious issues that municipalities are facing across the country. We cannot accept decisions such as this from the federal government, which does not support municipalities and municipal growth, and the residents that live in these municipalities."
Until the municipalities learn precisely what the federal government is referring to, and the projects that would be affected, he says they just have to wait for more details. Blight notes no one knows exactly which projects they are suggesting that they will not be funding.
"What large projects are to municipalities could be a very small project to another person," adds Blight. "So, we're not sure what that true definition is. So, we do know that any talk of reducing funding toward road infrastructure is a negative for any and all municipalities in this province."