FCM President Bill Karsten made the following statement as the federal Budget Implementation Act (2019) received Royal Assent today in Ottawa.
"Royal Assent for this Budget Implementation Act is more than a formality. Very concretely, it means the commitments on working with municipalities in Federal Budget 2019 can start to improve people’s daily lives.
"Budget 2019 essentially doubles this year’s direct Gas Tax Fund transfer to support better roads, bridges, transit, water systems, recreation facilities and more. This recognizes that putting tools directly in local hands drives efficient, cost-effective results for Canadians.
"We’re also a step closer to kick-starting a large-scale new initiative to drive cost-saving energy efficiency and green energy in communities across Canada. Budget 2019 commits nearly $1-billion to FCM’s Green Municipal Fund to make it happen. Fundamentally, this doubles down on working directly with FCM, municipalities and community partners to deliver major outcomes for Canadians.
"This budget also implements FCM’s recommendations to close Canada’s rural Internet access gap, and we’re ready to help shape a national broadband strategy that responds to local needs. This same budget expands support for FCM programming that helps municipalities strengthen their asset management systems to make the most of infrastructure investments.
"From infrastructure to housing, local governments have continued to deepen our federal partnership to get more done for Canadians. But this year’s budget marks a turning point—by elevating that partnership as the best way to build better lives. With a federal election on the horizon, that sets the right kind of standard for all parties to build on."
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is the national voice of local government, with nearly 2,000 member municipalities representing more than 90 per cent of the Canadian population.
For more information, please contact:
FCM Media Relations, (613) 907-6395, media@fcm.ca