NDP Leader Howard Hampton today demanded Dalton McGuinty rebalance the fiscal relationship between the province and municipalities and relieve municipal property taxpayers of the burden of paying for provincially-mandated programs.

“Ontario desperately needs a new provincial-municipal fiscal relationship fit for the 21st century. A decade ago, the Harris government downloaded provincially-mandated programs onto municipalities and in 2003, the McGuinty Liberals promised to reverse course. Five years later, we are still waiting,” said Hampton.

Hampton presented the NDP’s plan for a new fiscal relationship between municipalities and the province at the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, which draws more than 1,800 local politicians from across the province.

The NDP’s four-part plan calls for:

· The provincial government to assume its traditional responsibility for paying 50 per cent of public transit operating costs;
· Uploading court security costs so that the provincial government will assume the cost of providing security services in courtrooms;
· Honouring Ontario’s cost-sharing and funding agreements and paying the $225 million the provincial government has been short-changing municipalities; and
· Uploading disability assistance and related drug benefit costs by the end of 2011.

Hampton also criticized the McGuinty Liberals for failing to release their long-awaited report on the state of municipal finances and service delivery. The report had been expected in early June.

“The time for talk is over. The time for action is now. Bridges, roads and sewers are crumbling across Ontario. This doesn’t make Ontario stronger. Significant investment municipal infrastructure does, but we need a provincial government that is prepared to come to the table with a multi-year, long-term plan and a commitment to act on it,” said Hampton.