Premier Ford offers funding to municipalities, school boards to review budgets 

TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford says the province is willing to pay for large municipalities and school boards to review their budgets in an effort to find savings.

The offer of up to $7.35 million for the reviews comes as municipalities and school boards have warned that recently revealed provincial cuts will result in layoffs and service reductions.

Ford says the reviews are needed as the province tackles an $11.7-billion deficit and a debt that sits at approximately $347 billion.

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But Toronto Mayor John Tory says his city already does such annual reviews and another one won’t mitigate damage done by provincial cuts.

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Other large municipalities have said they may have to raise taxes or reduce services due to the cuts that will likely equal well over half a billion dollars in lost annual funding and foregone revenue.

Ford says dealing with the province’s fiscal situation is a priority.