Today's Star, smarty pants.
McCallion cool to penny plan
Mississauga mayor calls David Miller's GST pitch only a `Band-Aid' approach
Mar 01, 2007 04:30 AM
Phinjo Gombu
STAFF REPORTER
Mayor David Miller's one-cent rallying cry is getting lukewarm support from the second-largest city in the GTA.
Mississauga councillors argued the proposal to give Canada's municipalities one cent of the goods and services tax doesn't address their city's actual problem.
Brampton council, however, is set to launch its one-cent campaign and York Region's top politician supports Miller's plan.
While saying she would take the money, Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion said the real issue is easing the burden on the property tax system.
"Yes, we'll take the one cent," McCallion said during a meeting yesterday. "I can't say no ... But it doesn't solve the problem. It's a Band-Aid approach."
A real fix would be if the province took social, health and education costs off the back of the property-tax base, she said.
Mississauga Councillor Carolyn Parrish, a former MP, called Miller's campaign misguided. His real target should be Queen's Park, she said.
Municipal politicians have argued that funding social programs through property taxes is unfairly straining cities. They prefer such programs be funded with a revenue source that rises with the economy, such as income taxes.
Part of Miller's strategy seems to be to rally other cities and towns to press Ottawa for the funds. As Canada's most-populous city, Toronto arguably has the most to gain.
In Brampton, Mayor Susan Fennell, a strong supporter of the plan revealed Monday during the Toronto Summit 2007, convinced council yesterday to back the one-cent campaign. Councillors endorsed a plan to launch Brampton's own campaign in coming weeks to pressure federal politicians.
"This one cent left in our community will make the difference," Fennell said after distributing buttons from the Toronto launch to her colleagues.
She said it's important for a city like Brampton, whose problems and needs are often overshadowed by Toronto's, to stand publicly with the Ontario capital.
"We face the same challenges as Toronto," she said.
Support for Miller also came from York Region Chair Bill Fisch. He said "there was no question that both the province and the federal government had to get the message," that local governments desperately need more money for infrastructure.