Municipalities across the province are heading a new year amid the uncertainty that persists due to the pandemic.

Many towns and cities were forced to tighten their belts in 2020 in order to maintain the balanced municipal budgets required by legislation.

For the capital city, that meant addressing an $18-million shortfall.

Mayor Danny Breen says the state of the local economy needs to be front of mind.

He says because of the pandemic, many unknowns remain and Breen believes the city needs to be prepared for economic recovery whatever that may look like, noting that things will not look as they did before.