Mayor pleads funding case to province
Posted May 5, 2011 07:19:13 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Mayor Kelly is pleading with the province to postpone legislation that he says will force the city to raise taxes.
He told the law amendments committee the province’s plan to end an agreement with the municipalities will cost HRM about $46 million in the next 4 years, resulting in higher tax bills.
The Herald says NDP MLAs Howard Epstein and Leonard Preyra disputed the mayor’s prediction, saying city hall could do more to get its own fiscal house in order and not raise taxes.
An agreement was signed with municipalities in 2007 that covered programmes and services that saved them millions of dollars. It was supposed to cover 7 years and see the province pick up housing and corrections costs.
But in March, the Financial Measures Act was implemented allowing the Dexter government to scuttle the deal in 2012-13 because it can’t afford the $100 million in costs.
