Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie says it’s going to be a struggle to find any more efficiencies in the city’s annual budget.
Guthrie made the comment in response to Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s announcement that the province would pay for municipalities and school boards to review their budgets in an effort to find four per cent in savings.
READ MORE: Premier Ford offers funding to municipalities, school boards to review budgets
According to Guthrie, $19 million would have to be shaved off the city’s budget in order to meet the premier’s target.
“As mayor, every day I’m looking at trying to figure out how to find efficiencies, and we’ve been very successful,” he said.
“We are already doing line-by-line audits, we have an internal audit function, we do service reviews and we are constantly looking all the time to find better and more innovative ways to find efficiencies on the service we provide.”
Guthrie said another issue is what the province’s definition of an efficiency is.
READ MORE: Ottawa mayor pushes back at Premier Ford’s offer to have city budget reviewed
“Any efficiency, in my mind, is doing the same service in a better (way) for less money,” he said.
“What’s coming from the province is actually cuts. Those cuts are being left at the feet of the local taxpayers.”
Right now, Guthrie sees this playing out through four options: raising taxes, cutting services, taking from reserve funds — which he doesn’t want to do — or putting off major construction projects.
“We need clarity first. You can’t start an audit unless you know what you are really auditing for,” he said.
WATCH: Premier Ford announces $7.35 million to encourage budget savings
The Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario, which Guthrie chairs, is meeting on Friday with Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs.
Guthrie hopes to get some answers then.
READ MORE: City of Toronto launches petition demanding Ford government reverse course on cuts
He also hinted at some sort of petition similar to the one Toronto Mayor John Tory announced on Wednesday.
“Stay tuned,” he said when asked about details.
- Alberta to overhaul municipal rules to include sweeping new powers, municipal political parties
- Norad looking to NATO to help detect threats over the Arctic, chief says
- Grocery code: How Ottawa has tried to get Loblaw, Walmart on board
- Military judges don’t have divided loyalties, Canada’s top court rules
Comments