Ivan Court, mayor of Saint John, N.B., acknowledges it may be a controversial measure, but says commuters living in low-tax suburbs and working in the city should start paying tolls and higher parking fees to help defray the cost of maintaining infrastructure.

“We have 1,100 kilometres of roads and sidewalks to maintain, about $1 billion worth of water and wastewater infrastructure, but our bedroom communities are not contributing to that,” Court told the Toronto Star Wednesday. “But the wear and tear is the result of the fact that most of them work in the city.”

The toll and parking scheme is the latest suggestion coming out of City Hall to raise revenue for Saint John, which like cities elsewhere in the country, is facing budgetary pressures.

“You can’t have a sustainable community if you have almost 50 per cent of the population who works in the city living in the periphery of the city,” Court said.

Toronto city council has often made noises about introducing tolls for non-residents who drive into the city everyday but pay nothing to help repair the wear on roadways and other infrastructure. As with Saint John, the hurdle is always how such a toll system could be implemented.

“I suspect there is going to be some kick back from our neighbouring communities over the next few days. I suspect there will some hoopla about all of this,” Court said.

The idea of asking non-residents to pay their fair share came from Councillor Donnie Snook, who convinced his council colleagues Tuesday evening to investigate new sources of revenue, including road tolls.

“It could generate a substantial amount of money,” Snook said. “The idea here is to target the commuters that are coming in during the morning rush hour and leaving, using our streets for nothing.”

Court said he would also support the idea of a two-tiered parking system for city residents and out-of-town motorists. “Maybe we need a two-tier system: the people who live in Saint John and park uptown pay $5 … and somebody that lives outside pays $7,” he said.

The mayor said these new fees would have the added benefit of encouraging non-resident to take Saint John public transit, which has been expanded and subsidized by the outlying communities.

Snook said there’s no need for toll booths, suggesting instead Saint John install fixed cameras that photograph licence plates so commuters can be billed for using the road. Of course, Saint John residents would be exempt.

“Somehow you would have to give special stickers (for residents) vehicles,” Court said.

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Among Saint John’s financial woes is the fact it has a pension deficit estimated at $163 million, Court said, adding the province could make things easier for the coastal municipality by giving it special powers to find new ways of raising revenue.

Court noted that the city employees have agreed to a two-year wage freeze, and will pay 2 per cent more into their pension plan for a total 10.5 per cent of their salary over the next three years as well as accepting a reduction in benefits.