Smithers Deputy Mayor Gladys Atrill believes the fast track from the Federal Gas Tax Fund will be helpful for the Town of Smithers.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced during his daily briefing Monday (June 1) the $2.2 billion Gas Tax Fund will be sent in one payment this year to help municipalities who are facing a cash crunch during the pandemic.
According to Atrill, the Town is unsure what the money is going towards but Council is meeting tonight to review strategic priorities.
She said getting the fund all at once will keep some money in the bank especially with tax season on the horizon and the uncertainty of residents being able to pay their taxes.
“That is the income that we use for operations, so having an additional sum of money put into the bank that we can use to keep going is certainly going to be helpful,” Atrill said.
The Gas Tax Fund is normally a two-time payment for over 3,600 municipal governments across Canada.
Atrill also said she appreciates the efforts the provincial and federal governments have taken during the pandemic.
“For local governments, the time we really start to feel the pressure is tax time, so I accept that there were more critical things that needed to be dealt with,” she said.
In April, the provincial government announced municipal governments could borrow from their reserves interest-free.