🎙️ BARRIE HAS $465 MILLION IN THE BANK... SO NATURALLY WE HAVE SOME IDEAS 💰

Apparently, the City of Barrie has been very good with its money.

As of July 31st, the city had more than $465 MILLION in reserves and reserve funds.

That's not a rainy-day fund. That's an "apparently we're expecting a biblical monsoon" fund.

Over the past four years, Barrie's reserves have increased by 25 per cent, while the city's debt has dropped by 25 per cent.

And last year, S&P Global Ratings gave Barrie a AAA credit rating, the highest possible rating and a first for the city.

Basically, if Barrie walked into a bank tomorrow and asked for a loan, they'd probably offer us a coffee and ask if we'd like to buy the bank.

Now, obviously, this money isn't just sitting in a giant Scrooge McDuck vault underneath City Hall. Reserve funds are there to pay for future projects, infrastructure, emergencies and essential services while helping keep taxes stable.

Very responsible. Very sensible. Very grown-up.

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But $465 MILLION?!

You can't tell Barrie residents that number and expect us not to immediately start spending it in our heads.

Fill every pothole on Mapleview. Build a heated dome over Highway 400 so nobody ever has to brush snow off their car again.

Buy enough parking downtown that nobody ever has to download another parking app.

Give every Barrie resident a complimentary Costco membership.

And maybe put a roof over the Sadlon Arena parking lot so Barrie Colts fans don't have to scrape six inches of snow off their windshield after a Thursday night game.

Barrie has officially become that friend who says, "I can't afford to go out tonight, I'm trying to save money," and then you accidentally see their bank balance.