Municipalities applaud retroactive decision to not cut funding

Municipalities in the region are pleased with the news that Premier Doug Ford is reversing retroactive funding cuts to municipalities.

Officials in Windsor, Chatham-Kent and Tecumseh saidthis provides some relief for 2019, since this year's budgets had already been set before some of the announcement cuts.

Mayor of Tecumseh, Gary McNamara, said this gives them more time now to plan for the next budget.

"We fully understand in terms of the fiscal difficulty that the province is fixing right now, but at least now we've got a few months that we can have that conversation and start talking about those efficiencies that our communities are always looking to better ourselves," said McNamara, who is also on the executive committee of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

McNamara is also the chair of the local health unit.He said the reversal of cuts will help them out this year, although said they're still not "out of the woods."

According to McNamara, the health unit is working hard to find as many efficiencies as it can.

• Doug Ford reverses retroactive funding cuts amid fierce pressure from Toronto

Windsor's treasurer Joe Mancina said the decision not to cut retroactively is a positive one.

"We're midway through 2019 so it's very difficult to change budgets and deal with budget cuts midway through the year," said Mancina. "I believe it provides some relief relative to 2019 specifically, but more importantly it's looking at the impacts longer term and helping us to prepare for the 2020 budget."

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens is also relieved the province listened to a number of mayors across the province who expressed concerns.

"They listened. That's great news. And that gives us about six or seven months to have a conversation with the province with respect to how we move forward for 2020," said Dilkens, adding the cuts would have amounted to between $2 million and$4 million.

A report is going to city council in June outlining the anticipated impacts that the funding cuts were expected to have on the budget this year.

The report also asks city council to petition the province against cuts to funding that will impact services.