According to Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph and the chairman of Large Urban Mayor’s Caucus of Ontario, municipalities across the province issued requests to the Ontario federal government about the terrible financial situation they are in but are left unanswered. They felt like the government is turning a blind ear on their plea.

The municipalities are forced to make meets end for their constituents and sacrificed laying off thousands of staff and reconsider service cuts due to unsecured funding from the government. Guthrie puts transit as an example. He said that they couldn’t keep it running the way it is because of the dire circumstances.

It can be remembered that earlier this month, the LUMCO estimated a $415 million revenue loss and proposed a relief plan that will focus on addressing this huge loss dating from April to June. Guthrie said that both government levels agreed on the plan, but it seems that the talks are dragging on. He said that the longer it takes, the harder it is for small municipalities to cope and recover. He felt like small municipalities are being caught in the middle of a stand-off between provincial and federal issues being passed among parties.