Linden Mayor Dominique Blair has warned that council workers with loans could face mounting interest as the Town Council struggles to meet obligations to staff.

The Mayor and Town Council continue to face a financial crisis after the removal of revenue from the Mackenzie-Wismar bridge and Kara Kara tollbooth, Blair said, adding that the shortfall is affecting staffing and the municipality's ability to function.

He said the council has lost a significant percentage of its revenue, while its financial commitments, including salaries and operational expenses, remain unchanged.
"We're somewhat in a crisis… Obligations are still there. We still have a responsibility to those staff… The staff has been affected tremendously… since the removal of those 2 critical revenue streams," he said.

Blair noted that the council had engaged the Government and outlined the financial implications but received no response at the time of his address.
He warned that the strain could affect workers, some of whom have loans and could face accumulating interest if their financial circumstances deteriorate. Nevertheless, he added, the council is making efforts to ensure salaries are paid on time.

"We have met with government, we have submit all of our financial, we have stated how this is impactful to the council. As of today we have not gotten a response… Currently we are short on finances to our monthly obligation to those staff, and it will affect those staff significantly.

Because some of the staff, they have loans," Blair said.
The council has also lost several employees over the past four months, which has weakened its capacity to implement policies and execute decisions, he said. This compounds the financial difficulties as the municipality struggles to maintain its existing operational structure.

The municipality will continue to engage the Government as it explores solutions, Blair said.