{"id":9585,"date":"2021-02-10T10:58:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T14:58:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=9585"},"modified":"2021-02-10T11:49:25","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T15:49:25","slug":"sackville-will-get-311k-in-federal-safe-restart-funding-after-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/sackville-will-get-311k-in-federal-safe-restart-funding-after-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Sackville will get $311k in federal Safe Restart funding after all"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a>
$41 million in federal Safe Restart funding designated for municipalities is finally being distributed by the province. Image: Erica Butler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After being turned down for its original request of just under $291,000 in federal Safe Restart funding, the town of Sackville will end up with just over $311,000 from the federal fund after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Town treasurer Michael Beal said that a plan for the money will be brought forward to town council for approval. On Monday night, during a question period at town council\u2019s regular meeting, Beal said, \u201chow and where the fund is allocated is yet to be determined.\u201d For now it will go in to the town\u2019s general revenue, and some may end up as revenue for the water utility, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have additional COVID related expenses,\u201d said Beal, \u201cand it’s still happening. So that some of that will go to offset those additional costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federal Safe Restart funding for municipalities was announced in the summer, and while many provinces chose to distribute the funding on a per capita basis to local governments, New Brunswick broke ranks and chose to have municipalities account for their 2020 COVID-related losses, and apply to the province to receive the federal money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sackville\u2019s application to recover just under $291,000 in COVID-related costs from 2020 was at first completely rejected by the province, but a small amount, about $21,000, was later approved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with $28 million left in the fund at the end of January, the province decided to distribute the remainder on a per capita basis. That means that Sackville will receive another roughly $290,000, for a total of $311,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Had the full $41 million fund been distributed strictly on a per capita basis, the town of Sackville would have received about $424,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About $1.9 million of the fund was used to support public transit in the province, after the Higgs government failed to apply for the separate public transit fund which is part of the same federal Safe Restart program. Another $11 million was distributed via the province\u2019s COVID expense claim process, and the remaining $28 million through a per capita breakdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how other cities, towns and villages in the southeast made out with the province\u2019s distribution of Safe Restart funding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n