There is no doubt that across Ontario local municipalities are finding it difficult to keep up with all the financial pressures they face.
This age of rising inflation has hit Ontario’s municipalities hard. The costs of infrastructure have skyrocketed. Project prices have risen dramatically. Municipalities have very few sources of revenue and have struggled to balance property tax increases needed to fund infrastructure spending required with the public’s capacity to pay.
With the province mandating that more homes get built across the province, municipalities are caught in the middle trying to pay for infrastructure required to service new homes, while keeping their budgets and tax levies reasonable.
The lack of a stable, regular source of infrastructure funding for municipalities continues to be a significant roadblock to growth.
Three of the four candidates in the provincial election have extensive experience in the municipal arena and all of them have strong ideas on how to help municipalities with the issue.
Green candidate Joel Loughead said the current provincial process that sees an infrastructure funding pool created and municipalities then submitting applications for their top priority projects has been described as “the Hunger Games.”
“I think that’s exactly correct. They’re throwing scraps to these desperate and scrambling municipalities, rural municipalities mainly. We’re competing against each other,” said Loughead. “The Greens would immediately create rural infrastructure funds on which municipalities can steadily rely upon, so that we’re not desperately hoping for funding in the future or fighting against our neighbouring municipalities.”
Liberal candidate Selwyn Hicks promised he would regularly meet with the wardens of Bruce and Grey counties to receive their concerns and comments directly. He also said, if elected, he plans to organize mayor’s forums once or twice a year to hear from community leaders about issues affecting local municipalities.
“It’s sad. Municipalities are struggling. There is a download on them,” said Hicks. “I was in their position for 16 years. They’re going to have, with me, somebody who understands the challenges that they have and the pressure that is there.”
Hicks noted that property taxes have been rising across Ontario in recent years because that is the main source of revenue for municipalities. He said more tools are needed for municipalities to deal with the issues they face.
“The one tool they have is tax – property tax – and you can only keep raising that so long before people get angry,” said Hicks. “At the end of the day, you have communities that are growing. You have to have the infrastructure.”
Progressive Conservative candidate Paul Vickers said the current government has taken steps to help municipalities. He said a few years ago the government made a multi-year commitment to increase the money municipalities receive through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund.
“We’ve seen the issue and (the government) decided they were doubling the money that was put into the municipal partnership fund,” said Vickers. “I think we recognize it as a PC government and I’m sure it will continue in the years to come.”
NDP candidate James Harris said it is his goal to ensure local municipalities are “well equipped” to deliver the services they provide to the public.
“It just makes sense that if we’re going to download services and things from the province down to municipalities, it’s got to come with funding,” said Harris. “The municipalities are the people that are distributing the services because they know what’s going on in their community.”