The second series of Public Input and Information Meetings in area wards will begin in mid-February.  Citizens will have an opportunity to hear what budget options are being considered in order to hold the line on taxes and rebuild our aging infrastructure.

A clear message emerged from the input received so far - not only at the public meetings - but also through the City website, through local media, City surveys and in written submissions. Citizens expect Council to make a concerted effort to find significant efficiencies before asking them to pay higher taxes, user fees or special levies, and before deciding to borrow.

The City has taken steps to reduce expenditures by looking at new ways of doing business, making better use of technology and exploring partnerships. It remains imperative that services be delivered in the most effective and efficient way possible.

You will be able to watch budget discussions as they unfold - right from your own home.  All City Council Budget Meetings in Council Chamber at Tom Davies Square will air LIVE on Channel 10 News. Visit the City website or call 671-CITY(2489) for a complete list of meeting dates, times and topics.

Council will also continue to lobby provincial and federal levels of government for new sources of revenue. Municipalities across Ontario, and indeed Canada, need a new deal. We have assumed more and more responsibility for services, with little or no ensuing dollars to help pay for those services.

I encourage citizens of Greater Sudbury to do their part in advocating for a new deal for municipalities.  Please plan to participate in the upcoming pre-budget consultations on both provincial and federal levels. What can you say to senior levels of government?  Tell them how bad our roads are and how we need new revenue to fix them.  Tell them that many services have been downloaded onto municipalities and that our property taxes just can't fund all these responsibilities, many of which are mandated by senior levels of government.

Tell them we've lost $126 million in provincial grants in Sudbury since 1996 and that municipalities get only 7 cents of every tax dollar collected in this country.  About 80 per cent of tax revenue (income taxes, GST, PST, property taxes, etc.) is earned in cities, but municipalities only see a paltry 7 per cent of that total.

What kind of help do we need from senior levels of government?  For one thing, we need permanent, sustainable funding - not one-time grants - but revenue that is ongoing from year to year.   For instance, a portion of federal and provincial gax taxes or an exemption from paying the GST and PST would be a great start.  Anything that is permanent and sustainable will go a long way in helping us.

The 2004 Ontario Budget is expected to be delivered by Finance Minister Greg Sorbara in March.  Before that happens, there will be three different pre-budget consultations. The first of these will be held by the Standing Committee on Finance.

The Committee is not only hosting a consultation session in Sudbury, it is also encouraging citizens to share their thoughts in writing and by phone. Anyone interested in commenting on the budget can send a submission to the Clerk of the Committee, Katch Koch, Room 1405, Whitney Block, Queen's Park, Toronto, ON M7A 1A2  by 5 pm on Friday, February 13th, 2004.  Collect calls will also be accepted at (416) 325-3526, and faxed comments can be sent to (416) 325-3538.

Two other pre-budget consultations by the Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Finance's Budget Secretariat will also take place shortly, providing additional opportunities for citizens to make their voices heard.  Watch for details in the media, or contact the Minister directly with your comments: The Honourable Greg Sorbara, Minister of Finance, 95 Grosvenor Street, Queen's Park, Frost Building North, third floor, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1Z1, 1-800-337-7222.