Huron County has joined the calls for the Ontario government to review its financial agreements with municipalities.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), which represents most of the province's municipal governments, highlighted the need for a Social and Economic Prosperity Review in January.
As part of pre-budget submissions to the provinces Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, AMO is calling on the government to sit down with municipalities and work on a joint review of municipal finance, including a detailed analysis of Ontario’s infrastructure investment and service delivery needs.
They say the last adjustment to provincial-municipal financial arrangements came in 2008 and is long overdue.
“It is essential that all levels of government work together with coordinated effort and shared responsibility to meet the needs of all Ontarians, including those living here in Huron County,” said Huron County Warden Glen McNeil. “The County of Huron is supportive of this important call to action.”
AMO also pointed to the recently created Bill 23, which critics say caused a $1 billion annual hole in municipalities’ ability to fund new infrastructure.
"Ontario’s property taxes are already the second highest in the country, while provincial spending per capita is the lowest in Canada," said a media release from Huron County. "Property taxpayers, including small business owners, and seniors on fixed incomes, can’t afford to keep paying provincial costs."