Toronto Mayor David Miller was in Alberta recently for a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. While here he loudly applauded Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier for his fight with the province to get more revenue for Alberta municipalities.

"Calgary is in the middle of this oil boom and doesn't have the resources to meet the needs of its residents," said Toronto Mayor David Miller.

This ringing endorsement of the need for new civic revenues should send shivers down the spine of Alberta taxpayers, especially when you consider the source.

Mayor David Miller is about to unleash one of the largest municipal tax grabs in Canadian history.

A mere three months after provincial legislation came into effect giving Toronto the power to levy new taxes, the City of Toronto received a 151 page consultants report detailing how the city could collect $1.1 billion in new revenues from a bevy of new municipal taxes.

The various taxes include: a new tobacco tax; a new alcohol tax; a new parking tax; a new road toll; a new billboard tax; a new land transfer tax; a new ticket tax on movies, concerts, plays and sporting events; and a new vehicle registration tax.

If all of these taxes are introduced it could mean, on average, a Toronto family of four paying an additional $1,890 per year in new taxes.

Mayor Miller, sensing a taxpayer revolt, promised "consultations" with taxpayers before any new taxes were implemented. Laughably these "consultations" consisted of taxpayers broken-out into round-table groups and asked two questions. Number one: Which new taxes do you want Number two: How should the city spend its new revenue from the new taxes Incredibly, Mayor Miller didn't have the guts to show up to even one of these "consultations" to hear from angry taxpayers.

Miller's endorsement of Alberta municipalities (particularly Calgary's) desire for new revenues should raise a red flag for most taxpayers.

Two years ago Miller requested new powers of taxation for the City of Toronto. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, likely growing tired of a never ending demand for more provincial cash by the City of Toronto, saw giving Miller new powers of taxation as a way to rid his government of this persistent but effective pest.

Sound familiar

Miller's apparent western apprentice, Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier has also been on the war-path for more provincial cash. Even after clearly winning his battle, Bronconnier found a way to dig the knife a bit deeper suggesting Premier Stelmach lied about the manner in which his government was going to hand over $400 million in new dollars to Alberta municipalities.

Earlier this year following Miller's lead, Bronconnier, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel, Calgary Alderman Bob Hawkesworth and Taber Councillor Don Johnson, submitted a request to the Stelmach government for new taxing powers for municipalities.

Their pitch included: a new ticket tax, a new hotel tax, a new land-transfer tax and a new vehicle registration tax.

While the civic politicians slyly didn't include any figures with their request, using Toronto and other cities as a model, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) crunched the numbers. We discovered if all four of these taxes are implemented in Alberta it could mean, on average, an Alberta family of four would pay an additional $911 in new taxes each year.

If the Stelmach government capitulates like the McGuinty government did in Ontario to a strong mayor and his constant complaints for more money, taxpayers beware - your wallets are about to get a whole lot thinner.