Hamilton mayor tells Ford to 'stop the surprises' if he wants cities to budget better

Hamilton's mayor says he has some conditions beforetaking Premier Doug Ford up on his budget-cutting offer stop the "haphazard" surprises, and stop cutting public health and ambulance service.

Fred Eisenberger says the city already scrutinizes its budget "line by line" to pinch pennies. Local property taxes have already been at or below the rate of inflation for the past six years. And the city has struggledwith provincial downloading for years.

"All this being said, I am willing to work with Premier (Doug) Ford on finding efficiencies but under the following conditions: stop the surprises, stop cutting public health, stop cutting ambulance services, and let's work together," he said in a statement.

Eisenberger's words came after Ford offered up to $7.35 million for municipalities and school boards to havethird party audits. Municipalities, including Hamilton, have warned the comments that Ford's cuts could mean reduced services orhigher property taxes.

"It's time for all governments to get spending under control," Ford said Tuesday."It takes no courage to raise taxes."

"Work with us to find four per cent. Find the savings." This is needed, he said, to tackle a $11.7-billion provincial deficit and a roughly $347-billion debt.

In Hamilton, the cuts will likely see the local public health unit merge with those in Niagara, Brant and Haldimand-Norfolk. It also means a reduction in government-funded child-care spaces, among other cutbacks. The province has also cancelled municipalities' share of the gas tax.

These changes began mere weeks after the city approved its 2019 budget, which shows "a lack of consideration," EIsenberger said.

Hamilton does multi-year budgeting, he said. "We are spending smarter. We are modernizing services and eliminating duplications and have done so for years."

"The biggest threat to Hamilton's budget is the in-year cuts being inflicted by Doug Ford's government with no prior consultation."

In Toronto, the city estimates $178 million in cutbacks this year. Mayor John Tory said there's an irony in the provincial minister of finance saying the province hasn't raised taxes. "And yet they knew, I assume, they were going to be sending us letters and e-mails within hours or days, causing us to have to raise taxes."

Eisenberger says he agrees with Tory that cities and the province have to "work together in a collaborative and coordinated way that better serves the people of Ontario than the approach we have seen so far."

Donna Skelly, PC MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook, says the province has gone through the budget "line by line," and "we're expecting municipalities to do the same." She cited those efforts as a reason the province can give $25 million for stem cell beds at Juravinski Cancer Centre.

"We inherited a massive deficit from the previous government."

Eisenberger said the province isn't bankrupt, and portraying it that way could deter investment interest.

And Sandy Shaw, NDP finance critic and Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas MPP, lashed out atSkellyin a media release Tuesday. Skelly should fight the cuts, Shawsaid, instead of"backstabbing the city."

"Doug Ford is cutting the services Hamilton families depend on every day, from child care to public health," saidShaw. "It's truly disappointing that local Conservative MPPs are parroting Ford's rhetoric and attacking our city rather than standing with Hamilton and pushing back against these cuts."

"Hamilton families are either going to feel Ford's cuts, or they're going to have to add a Ford tax to their property tax bills."

Full statement from Mayor Fred Eisenberger