The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus is calling for new funding tools to help municipalities tackle infrastructure and health-care pressures following this year’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa.
The EOWC, which represents 103 rural and small-urban municipalities, used the four-day conference to advocate for priorities including infrastructure investment, community paramedicine, housing and economic development.
“The AMO Conference continues to be a vital platform for ensuring municipal voices are heard and reflected in provincial decision-making,” EOWC Chair Bonnie Clark said.
One of the caucus’s key proposals would see municipalities retain the 1.76 per cent portion of the HST that is currently excluded from their rebate.
The EOWC joined the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus in passing a resolution asking the province to consider the change. Together, the organizations represent 220 rural and small-urban municipalities.
Clark said the change could return approximately $13 million to upper- and single-tier municipalities in eastern Ontario alone, providing additional money for infrastructure.
The EOWC also welcomed a $1-billion federal-provincial investment aimed at supporting housing-enabling infrastructure in municipalities that do not collect development charges.
“Building more homes requires the infrastructure to support them, and investments in roads, bridges and water systems will help municipalities unlock housing growth while renewing the infrastructure that existing residents rely on,” Clark said.
Health care was another major focus for the eastern Ontario delegation.
The caucus is advocating for clinicians to be embedded in dispatch centres to help assess lower-acuity calls and potentially redirect patients to other health-care providers. It is also calling for community paramedicine to become a permanent part of Ontario’s health-care system with long-term funding.
Other priorities include creating a standardized municipal asset assessment system and advancing the Eastern Ontario Transformation Action Plan to support economic growth and workforce development.
EOWC representatives met with several provincial ministers, political parties and sector organizations during the conference.
Clark has also been appointed County Caucus Chair on AMO’s Board of Directors, giving her a position on the organization’s executive leadership team representing Ontario counties.
