Where’s the beef for communities?

News Release
AMO

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) cautions its members that today’s Provincial Throne Speech did not offer communities any hope with respect to achieving fiscally sustainable municipal government in Ontario.
“The Province continues to siphon $3 billion annually away from core municipal responsibilities such as water treatment, transportation, effective waste management, policing and fire fighting, to fund provincial health and social services,” said AMO President, Roger Anderson. “How can the government profess to champion strong communities without addressing our single greatest barrier to success?.”
While AMO recognizes that this municipal funding gap won’t be closed quickly, a plan of action is needed to achieve the goal over time and work on this plan ought to begin within the second half of this government’s term.
“The Premier has an opportunity to fix Ontario’s badly broken system of municipal finance, but the window of opportunity is closing fast,” added Anderson. “If we do not start planning now, Ontario’s municipalities are likely to be subsidizing provincial programs for several years to come, to the detriment of their communities’ best interests and the future prosperity of this province.”
Ontario is the only province in Canada where municipal property taxes are used to subsidize provincial health and social services programs, like welfare and employment services, disability benefits, drug benefits, social housing, child care, homes for the aged, public health and ambulance services. AMO believes that these income redistribution programs should be funded through income taxes.
AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 445 municipal governments. AMO supports and enhances strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system.