Renfrew Reeve Peter Emon
The Town of Renfrew will be backing a push to modernize the fiscal relationship between Ontario and its municipalities.
Town Council agreed to send a letter of support for a proposal by their counterparts in Whitby calling on the province to work with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Big City Mayors group to review how municipal funds are directed towards provincial responsibilities, such as social housing, health-related capital obligations, and social services.
Reeve Peter Emon says the current system is stuck in the eighties and undermines quality of life at the local level.
The Whitby proposal specifically requests that the review address why municipal spending for provincial services outpaces provincial contributions by around $4 billion annually, accounting for nearly one-third of municipal tax dollars.
It also calls for a predictable revenue stream that reflects the changing economic, social, and infrastructure demands municipalities currently face using revenues from land transfer taxes that Emon says are not currently being shared downward.
Emon adds that concerns about the financial relationship between the local municipalities and the province are not new, and regular reminders are needed to keep the issue from being ignored.
(written by Kasey Egan)
