Take it for what its worth — but an important small business organization in Canada says the country’s cities lie about money. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says ahead of this week’s meeting of big-city mayors that about 15 cents out of every tax dollar collected in Canada goes to cities — nearly double the eight cents per dollar the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) says its members receive. “This eight cent myth is used at every municipal meeting to support the story that municipalities are revenue-starved,” CFIB executive vice-president Laura Jones said. “But it’s a story that doesn’t reflect reality.” Mayors aren’t counting major sources of revenue like federal and provincial transfer payments, the CFIB said. According to the report, too much spending is the problem, not a lack of revenue. The CFIB calls on upper levels of government to freeze additional funding to cities until they get their spending in line, and also for municipalities to align public sector wages with those in the private sector. The FCM meets in Ottawa on Tuesday and Wednesday. QMI
