City, Friday, July 15, 2011, p. A3
Liberal has a plan for municipalities
Hugh MacDonald wants to make the Liberals competitive again.
"We would like to organize our party better so that we can compete in the provincial election," he said.
The Liberal leadership contender was in Lethbridge Thursday for a public meet and greet to share his ideas on how to rival the long standing Conservatives.
One of the main platforms on his campaign is a policy alternative to the current municipal sustainability fund that would "give municipalities more control over the taxes that are raised in their respective jurisdictions," he said.
"At the moment there is $1.7 billion collected across the province in education property taxes, and we would like to see that property tax requisition go to the municipalities," explained MacDonald. "In other words, we will fund public education for both separate and public school boards completely through the general revenue fund, just as we do now for private, charter and francophone schools."
He said as much as 30 per cent of one's property taxes may be slated for education, which goes into a pool for students provincewide.
"What I'm proposing is that we leave that money that's collected by the City of Lethbridge in the city of Lethbridge," he said, adding the municipal sustainability initiative would be eliminated.
"(It's) a good program, but it has strings attached," he said. "A city shouldn't have to rely on the relationship with the premier's office or the minister of municipal affairs to get municipal funding or grants."
In 2010 Lethbridge received $15.5 million from the municipal sustainability fund.
Under MacDonald's proposed policy alternative, the City of Lethbridge would keep the education portion of property taxes, therefore receiving $26 million.
"Over a 10-year period, that would mean your mayor and council would have stable, predictable municipal funding in the range of $260 million," MacDonald said.
He acknowledged some municipalities and school boards might not like the idea, but argued the time has come to "show more respect and provide more autonomy to municipalities big and small."
"This is one way of doing it," he said. "You get the money, you spend it, and you're accountable to your taxpayers, your citizens."
He said all other provincial grants programs would remain as they are.
MacDonald said he feels his role as an opposition member has given him the necessary experience to run the party.
"I've have shown over the years an ability to keep the government on their toes and keep them accountable to the taxpayers," he said. "To ensure that the government of the day, the government that the citizens select, is accountable. And I have done that, I think, quite effectively."
As MLA for the Edmonton-Gold Bar riding for the last 14 years, MacDonald said he never ran for leadership in the past because of his family.
"We have a young family, but our family is growing up and moving out, and if I'm elected I will have the time, hopefully, to organize our party and lead it into the election," he said. "In life you get lots of chances to do many different things, but you only get one chance to raise a family."
MacDonald is one of five contenders in the race for leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party, running alongside Edmonton MLAs Laurie Blakeman and Raj Sherman, and Calgary's Bruce Payne and Bill Harvey.
The new leader will be chosen in September.
© 2011 The Lethbridge Herald. All rights reserved.
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