Osprey Media Group Inc. - Brantford Expositor: "Harper gets an earful from city politicians
By Michael-Allan Marion
Local News - Saturday, July 23, 2005 @ 01:00
Conservative leader Stephen Harper got an education in the problems municipal councils face trying to keep their communities humming � and the efforts by one to revitalize a rundown core � in his visit Friday to Brantford.
The touring leader and Brant Conservative candidate Phil McColeman spent about an hour in the morning huddling in the Brantford Club with Mayor Mike Hancock, Coun. Larry Kings and three other councillors with Conservative Party memberships � Dan McCreary, Greg Martin and John Starkey.
Also in the discussion were prominent downtown developer Gabriel Kirchberger and a Laurier Brantford official.
Harper heard in spades about a fiscal imbalance between the three levels of government that leaves municipalities with not enough money to pay for their increased responsibilities, except to hit the property taxpayer with increases.
He listened while Hancock told him municipalities need a �real new deal� in permanent fiscal arrangements between the three levels of government. The federal share of the gasoline tax and the GST rebate already extended by the Liberal government are not enough, he said. "
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