Burlington Council Unanimously Calls on Province for New Provincial-Municipal Fiscal Framework

Yesterday, Burlington City Council was unanimous in calling on the Province of Ontario to commit to working together with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to complete a comprehensive social and economic prosperity review to promote the stability and sustainability of municipal finances across Ontario.The resolution was brought forward to Council by Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan and me. To read a copy of the full resolution scroll further down this post or click/tap here: ADM-02-24 Motion Memo regarding New Municipal-Provincial Fiscal Framework.Halton Regional Council approved a similar resolution brought forward by Councillor Nisan and me, requesting 'A New Deal for Halton Region' to address the funding shortfall for cost-shared health and social services programming, the shortfall in development charges revenues and ensure critical water and wastewater infrastructure is adequately funded to keep pace with growth.In late 2022, the Province committed to “ensuring municipalities are kept whole for any impact to their ability to fund housing enabling infrastructure because of Bill 23.” To date, no further information has been provided. Without this funding, it is inevitable that growth related projects will be delayed, and it will become necessary to use tax-supported funds to ensure growth-related infrastructure is provided for complete communities.MY TAKE:This issue has been a focus for the City of Burlington and Region of Halton for several years. We simply cannot continue to fund the infrastructure, the community services, all of the needs that a community requires, on the backs of property taxpayers. The property tax system was never designed to address the complexity of issues that are now facing municipalities. We cannot continue to see double digit tax increases at the municipal level. It's a regressive tax and takes no account of income and that is also unpredictable.I thank my Council colleagues for being unanimous in our call to the Province to commit to working together with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to complete a comprehensive social and economic prosperity review to promote the stability and sustainability of municipal finances across Ontario.

•                    •                    •

APPROVED RESOLUTION:Whereas current provincial-municipal fiscal arrangements are undermining Ontario’s economic prosperity and quality of life; andWhereas nearly a third of municipal spending in Ontario is for services in areas of provincial responsibility and expenditures are outpacing provincial contributions by nearly $4 billion a year; andWhereas municipal revenues, such as property taxes, do not grow with the economy or inflation; andWhereas unprecedented population and housing growth will require significant investments in municipal infrastructure; andWhereas municipalities are being asked to take on complex health and social challenges – like homelessness, supporting asylum seekers and addressing the mental health and addictions crises; andWhereas inflation, rising interest rates, and provincial policy decisions are sharply constraining municipal fiscal capacity; andWhereas property taxpayers – including people on fixed incomes and small businesses – can’t afford to subsidize income re-distribution programs for those most in need; andWhereas the province can, and should, invest more in the prosperity of communities; andWhereas municipalities and the provincial government have a strong history of collaboration; andWhereas on December 13, 2023 Halton Regional Council approved a resolution, A New Deal for Halton Region, requesting a New Deal for Halton Region to address the funding shortfall for cost-shared health and social services programming, the shortfall in development charges revenues and ensure critical water and wastewater infrastructure is adequately funded to keep pace with growth; andTherefore, be it resolved that the City of Burlington calls on the Province of Ontario to commit to undertaking, with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, a comprehensive social and economic prosperity review to promote the stability and sustainability of municipal finances across Ontario;And further that a copy of this motion is sent to the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford; the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Paul Calandra; the Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy; Minister of Red Tape Reduction, Parm Gill; Natalie Pierre, MPP Burlington; and Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP Oakville North-Burlington; Halton Region; the Association of Municipalities of Ontario; and the Ontario’s Big City Mayors Caucus.