Federation of Canadian Municipalities asking for billions in emergency funding for local governments

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is asking the federal government to give local governments billions in emergency funding to stave off financial ruin.

The organization says local governments need between $10 billion and $15 billion over the next six months to pay for services while they see revenue declines.

Transit ridership, for instance, is down as people stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and municipal councils are considering or have approved delays in collecting property taxes to give residents a financial break.

That's why they're asking for $2.4 billion for cities with transit systems.