Sousa rejects Toronto’s claim it’s being short-changed $150 million
TORONTO – The Ontario government flatly disputes Toronto’s claim that the city will lose $150 million in funding for social programs, but admits it’s changing funding to treat the city the same as other municipalities.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa says the province has started to wean other towns and cities municipalities off of funding for welfare as it uploads more of the costs itself, and says Toronto will get more money overall.
Sousa says he knows Mayor Rob Ford wants to keep taxes low in Toronto, but the province must eliminate a deficit of $11.7 billion.
The finance minister says he’s not in favour of raising taxes provincially so Ford can claim he didn’t raise them at the city level.
The Progressive Conservatives have said they would stop uploading costs from municipalities until the deficit is eliminated, which Sousa warns would put all towns and cities in a much worse position.
Noting that Councillor Doug Ford has talked about running for the Tories, Sousa says the mayor’s brother would actually be campaigning for cuts to the very funding programs that the city complains are being reduced.
Part of the financial dispute centres on a $200 million loan which the province is now waiving after the city missed 16 payments and appeared to have had no plan to repay.
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