Canadian Municipalities Want a New Deal

Canadian municipalities have had all sorts of federal and provincial programs "downloaded" onto them in recent years, without any corresponding increase in tax revenues. According to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, there is a "a $60-billion gap between the cost of programs municipalities must deliver, and what they can afford." A group of big-city mayors met recently in Toronto to discuss how to make municipal funding "more predictable and reliable." Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray wants municipalities to "have a cut of the federal gasoline tax and a cut of provincial sales tax revenue." Given the new political climate, with a more "city-friendly" prime minister, these dreams may be moving closer to reality.