At the recent virtual city council meeting on Friday, Swift Current councillors met to discuss a number of critical issues facing the city during the COVID-19 crisis.

One of those issues is that with the closure of all non-essential businesses and the ongoing fluctuation of financial markets, Swift Current's revenue may find itself adversely affected at precisely the time when it needs it more than ever, as it recently announced a plan to waive all utility payment and property tax late fees.

With the closure of facilities, cash inflow is forecasted to decrease in recreational and cultural areas as well.

The city reports that under normal operating conditions it would usually generate about $4.6 million per month in revenue, while for the next three months as various forces batter the province and the country's economies, that number is expected to drop significantly, to anywhere between $2.8 to $3.4 million.

It's a drastic drop in revenue. Expenditures, however, are expected to remain the same, estimated at $3.5 million per month in the next three months.

That number is calculated to maintain the city's fixed operating costs such as payroll, debt repayment, utility costs and other essential services. But it does not include any capital projects.

The council decided on Friday that in these uncertain times, it would be prudent for their current $2 million dollar line of credit to be temporarily increased to $7 million for the next fiscal year.