Linden Mayor Dominique Blair is appealing to the Government for intervention, claiming the removal of the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge toll has left the municipality facing estimated annual revenue losses of $90 million to $100 million.
Speaking during a recent Facebook Live discussion on municipal issues, Blair said the toll had been an important source of revenue for the council and its removal has placed additional pressure on already limited resources, adding that the shortfall is already affecting the council’s ability to deliver essential services.
“The removal of that toll has hurt us significantly and we are appealing to government for us to sit and to have a conversation,” Blair said, noting that the municipality had been losing an estimated $77 million a year at the time the toll was removed, with losses now averaging between $90 million and $100 million annually.
Blair said the impact is being felt across several departments, including waste management, environmental services, enforcement and security. He noted that the council is struggling to maintain its previous level of garbage collection, having used a significant portion of its resources to service communities outside the central business area.
“We use at least half the garbage men in communities one day a week. Now we can’t even afford the opportunity to send garbage men to those communities,” he said.
Blair proposed allowing larger vehicles, many of which he said are not based in Linden, to continue paying a bridge toll. He also called for a reassessment of property values, noting that some residents continue to pay municipal rates based on outdated valuations.
“We are looking at measures and new ways,” he said.
The Mayor said the council does not want to impose additional taxes on residents already facing economic challenges, but stressed that Government must assist in finding a sustainable replacement. He said that without intervention, the financial strain could increasingly undermine the municipality’s ability to provide services and enforce municipal regulations.
