Premier Dalton McGuinty plans to end that practice and relieve cities of $935 million in social service costs, sources say.

Today, at a conference of municipal leaders in Ottawa, McGuinty will announce that the Liberals, if re-elected, will take back the full costs of disability support payments and drug benefits over four years.

The commitment is worth $173 million to municipalities next year and $762 million in the following three years, a source told the Toronto Star.

"We've listened to municipalities and this has been their number one ask," the source said of why the province has decided to resume full funding for these two programs.

"We're building on the promises we've made in the last four years and we're accelerating the pace of change ... by uploading services to help municipalities and property taxpayers."

Towns and cities have been crying poor since these costs, along with others like public health, daycare and housing for the poor, were dumped on them by the former Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris. Source...