Local governments in British Columbia will find sympathy but not money from the province, warned community, sport and cultural development minister Bill Bennett today.

"I know you are struggling with issues that require a lot of money to fix," Bennett told an audience of mayors and councillors from B.C.'s large communities in a four-minute speech Sept. 25 at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria.

"In the situations many of you are in today with regard to drinking water, sewage, transit, roads, etc., it's going to take considerable investment to catch you up and I don't know what the solutions are," he said. "I really don't."

Bennett was appointed as the minister responsible for local government by Premier Christy Clark on Sept. 5, a position he previously held for a year starting in June, 2009.

He is scheduled to give a longer speech during the afternoon of Sept. 26. "You will hear me talk a little bit about constraining expenses," he said. "I know you work pretty hard at that too. It's not intended to be patronizing."

The province struggles with reducing expenses as well, he said.

Bennett said he believes a new mayors' council is a step in the right direction and that he's hopeful some things can be accomplished before election scheduled for May 14, 2013. "I will be here for at least eight months," he said. "That might not seem like a long time, but I think we can get some things done."

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Find him on Twitter or reach him here.