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Katz raises infrastructure issue at national conference
Mayor Sam Katz. (BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store
The mayors of Canada’s largest cities all believe the provinces and Ottawa need to share more tax revenue to replace municipal infrastructure, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz said after speaking at a gathering of politicians in Saskatoon.
Today Katz took part in the big-city mayors’ caucus at the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He said he spoke first about the need for distributing tax revenue and found his colleagues in complete agreement.
"There was complete unanimity," Katz said over the phone from Saskatoon, repeating his long-held assertion municipal infrastructure has reached a crisis point and other levels of government must do more to help.
"I happened to get my hand up first. What was nice to hear was every single mayor that stood up echoed my comments and said this is exactly what we need to address. It has to be done (and) it has to be done now."
The big-city mayors’ caucus is comprised of representatives from 22 of Canada’s largest municipalities. Along with demanding more revenues, the mayors or their respresentatives supported the idea of indexing gas-tax revenues to construction inflation and also like the idea of public-private partnerships as a means of kickstarting capital projects, Katz said.
Last week, Katz blasted the province for proposing new rules governing public-private partnerships. As well, on Wednesday, city council voted endorse a symbolic Katz motion to ask the Selinger government to hand over the proceeds of the May 1 gas-tax increase to Manitoba municipalities.
The mayor also said today he continues to support the idea of slicing off a share of PST revenues to support infrastructure, but stopped just short of endorsing the idea of creating a brand-new one-per-cent tax to pay for municipal construction – something Manitoba New Democrats will debate.
Noting such a new tax would require a referendum, Katz said voters would have a choice to make.
"If the public is happy with the condition of our roads, community centres and our pipes underground … they can make the (decision)," Katz said.
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