Premier Rejects Municipal Sales Tax

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne yesterday told the Association of Municipalities of Ontario something they didn’t want to hear.  She flatly rejected the Association’s proposal to increase the provincial sales tax from eight to nine percent to pay for infrastructure projects in various municipalities. 

The Association developed the proposal to raise the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax by one per cent in consultation with the province’s 444 municipalities to deal with what it said is a pressing lack of funds to both maintain and improve bridges, roads and transit. 

Wynne told The Canadian Press that people are having a hard time making ends meet, so this is not something that she would consider. 

Northumberland County Council had voted in favor of the proposal in July.