Gore Bay’s Provincial Offences Act management chair Derek Stephens says they are facing a shortfall due to the pandemic.
The board oversees the collection of fines for Manitoulin Island’s nine municipalities.
The government had paused the collection of fines due to the virus, but Stephens says the board is lobbying the Ontario attorney general for funding to make up budget shortfalls as well as support to prepare a jury trial space in Gore Bay that complies with public health restrictions.
According to the unaudited financial statements, the agency is showing a deficit of just over $22,000 as of the end of 2020.
Ontario extended the time limits for POA appeals until April, which means any person charged has extra time to file an appeal and the POA office cannot move to collect any fines owed, and in turn, local courts cannot pursue collecting the fines either.