MCK 2020-21 Operational Budget announcement

04/01/2020

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke wishes to announce the budget for the fiscal year 2020-2021. The budget was approved at the duly-convened Council meeting on March 16th.

This year’s approved MCK Operational Budget is $57,400,000, which is an increase from $52,608,000 announced last year ( click here for last year’s Budget ). Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, only essential secondary requests were approved. Decisions on the remaining Secondary Budget requests were deferred until further notice. Additionally, the projected Budget is likely to undergo major changes due to emergency measures put in place, which will have significant financial impacts unforeseen on March 16th, when the Budget was approved.

Aside from the typical cost of living increases, the overall increase to the budget can be attributed to several new projects, increased jurisdiction, new positions, and investments into new and existing assets. Some projects may be one-time expenses, while others may be ongoing; however, it is important to note that most projects are currently on hold and no additional staff are being added at this time unless needed to provide essential services.

Details on the modified Budget will be provided at an appropriate time in the future, as the MCK remains committed to operating in the most transparent manner possible.

“We are all experiencing something that is unprecedented,” said Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton. “So much has changed in the past few weeks that some things don’t seem as important as they did before. But the MCK has a job to do, and the Budget approval is essential for the operation of most of the services that the community needs to function. We have had to make dramatic decisions, such as creating a multi-million dollar emergency relief fund to address immediate needs unforeseen two short weeks ago. We will carry on and make the necessary adjustments as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. In the meantime, we ask for your patience and understanding at this time.”