On Friday, mayors from Ontario’s larger cities came together in Waterloo to talk about various municipal issues, pushing for policies that matter to the province’s biggest urban centers, including Burlington.
The discussion covered a range of topics such as housing, infrastructure, and the crisis surrounding homelessness, mental health, and addictions.
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward shared her thoughts with CHCH News following the meeting.
She mentioned that much of the dialogue focused on the new development charge reduction initiative revealed by Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
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This program includes $8.8 billion in funding aimed at assisting municipalities that lower development charges on new residential projects by up to 50 percent over the next three years.
Ward noted that there are still many questions regarding this program as there are only two weeks left to apply.
Representatives from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing were present at the meeting, and according to her, their discussions were fruitful. In general, all the matters discussed by the mayors boil down to one key point: they’re advocating for a new fiscal framework in Canada. WATCH MORE: Ontario mayors warn of homelessness surge without provincial action “We need a new fiscal arrangement in our country around how these things get funded – they are increasingly being pushed down to the property tax base,” said Ward. “That’s why you’ve seen significant increases across the board and we need a sustainable financial model. We can’t continue to do really what we’re doing right now. You’ve got two weeks to apply, identify major projects, get a shovel in the ground, but you might not be successful.” “So good luck with that project; if you’re not successful, it’s not a way that helps us plan and fund and finance these major multi-year projects that are required for our communities,” said Ward. Ward also mentioned that they talked about homelessness and addiction recovery treatment – HART hubs – available in some cities and reviewed data they’re gathering on their effectiveness. WATCH MORE: Big city mayors call for drastic action as homelessness surges across Ontario
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Representatives from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing were present at the meeting, and according to her, their discussions were fruitful. In general, all the matters discussed by the mayors boil down to one key point: they’re advocating for a new fiscal framework in Canada. WATCH MORE: Ontario mayors warn of homelessness surge without provincial action “We need a new fiscal arrangement in our country around how these things get funded – they are increasingly being pushed down to the property tax base,” said Ward. “That’s why you’ve seen significant increases across the board and we need a sustainable financial model. We can’t continue to do really what we’re doing right now. You’ve got two weeks to apply, identify major projects, get a shovel in the ground, but you might not be successful.” “So good luck with that project; if you’re not successful, it’s not a way that helps us plan and fund and finance these major multi-year projects that are required for our communities,” said Ward. Ward also mentioned that they talked about homelessness and addiction recovery treatment – HART hubs – available in some cities and reviewed data they’re gathering on their effectiveness. WATCH MORE: Big city mayors call for drastic action as homelessness surges across Ontario
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