The article looks at how Canadian cities get money to pay for things. They checked data from big cities in each province to see where the money comes from. Most cities don't get much money from the different ways they can get it. Giving cities more ways to get money doesn't always mean they get more money or offer more services. The main way cities get money is from property taxes and fees. Having more ways to get money doesn't always mean cities can get more money. The authors say it's hard to compare cities because of different data. Fixing this could help compare cities better.