Mayor Don Scott is optimistic the region has seen the worst of 2020.
The municipality held a Facebook live event on Wednesday where Scott expressed his belief the next few months will include more positives than negatives.
Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, the community is dealing with the aftermath of the flood, a downturn in the economy, and a boil water advisory.
Scott says the province starting to reopen the economy is a good sign that things are moving in the right direction.
“There’s going to be more businesses opening back up – we’re here to support businesses, that’s why we did the large tax reduction.”
Back on May 12, Wood Buffalo approved a $168 million decrease in property taxes.
A big chunk of the decrease is for industry who’ve been struggling of late due to lower oil prices.
However, Scott notes the sector is starting to see a little rebound.
“Oil is slowly increasing from where it was, so we’re starting to see an economic recovery, slight. It might take a year or a little bit longer to see a more full on recovery.”
After being under $10 a barrel U.S. in March, WTI prices have been hovering in the low $30 range.
Scott adds when the economy really starts to improve, Wood Buffalo should start to see a rise in jobs.
“We have billion-dollar industries in our backyard, those aren’t going anywhere, so I really see this as a place of opportunity.”
