“There is a risk as being seen as petulant whiners,” said Mr. Clark. “We can’t be seen like that. We have to work with both levels of government.”

Councillors this week endorsed a motion demanding the province continue to provide $12 million in special social service funding.

Hamilton has received about $70 million over the last five years in special social services funding. The money has ranged from a high of $19.5 million to last year’s $12 million. In addition, Liberal MPPs have pointed out the city has received millions of dollars in help from the province, to clean up the harbour, for skills training, to boost the city’s hospitals, in infrastructure funding and in gas tax revenues.

The province recently announced it was assuming responsibility from municipalities for about $1.5 billion in services, including social services, and court costs.

In return, the province will eliminate the Ontario Municipal Provincial Fund, where Hamilton has received the bulk of its special funding.

The problem, say councillors, is the uploading of services won’t begin until 2010. In the meantime, they say, Hamilton will see its budget balloon, and the average tax increase for the average homeowner in 2009 leap from the current projection of 9.3 per cent to over 11 per cent.

Mr. Clark said Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale Liberal MPP and cabinet minister Ted McMeekin told councillors and staff repeatedly last year the social service funding was going to stop in 2008.

“This is one-time funding,” he said.

Mr. McMeekin, in an interview, reaffirmed that he did tell politicians and staff there would be no more social services funding in 2009. City staff has indicated they have not been told by provincial officials or the minister the city would not be eligible for special social services funding in 2009. And councillors have also stated Mr. McMeekin did not tell them the funding would stop next year.

Mr. Clark said he informed councillors there would be no more money from the province for social services funding. And he is also troubled by the inference city politicians are indicating that Mr. McMeekin isn’t telling the truth.

Mr. McMeekin said in an interview, along with Hamilton Mountain Liberal MPP Sophia Aggelonitis, he will advocate to the province on behalf of Hamilton to make sure the city doesn’t suffer financially. But he reiterated that it is time the city started being responsible with its money and not rely so much on provincial grants to fix its budget. Now that the province is promising to help all municipalities by paying for their social services costs, Hamilton can’t ask for further financial help, he said.