The mayor of Hanna, Alta., doesn't mince words when asked to describe the impact of the UCP government's funding cuts on towns and cities across Alberta. Municipalities can't run deficits, so they face tough choices: cut services, increase taxes or both. The payment is meant to cover the costs of services that municipalities provide to provincial buildings and facilities, which are exempt from property tax. We cannot, for instance, stop the snow removal in front of the provincial courthouse or the provincial facilities, we can't stop providing protective services," said Barry Morishita. The town of High River recently voted to "write off" $54,000 in what it called bad debt owed by the province — the remaining amount the province cut.

Source: CBC News July 19, 2021 11:00 UTC