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Mayor outlines Town's financial concerns to finance minister's representative LISA TALLYN Staff Writer Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette took the opportunity recently to highlight some issues of local importance to a representative from Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's office. Bonnette was impressed that Susan McGovern, director of regional affairs with the federal finance minister's office, visited, and wanted to hear what issues are important to the community. He believes it's the first time anyone from the finance minister's office has made an effort to meet the town's mayor. "I would like to applaud the finance minister for taking this initiative," said Bonnette. Flaherty said McGovern's visit with the mayor was on his behalf because of his commitments in Ottawa. He said he's met with all the regional chairs, Mississauga libraries, which is critical to the creMayor Hazel McCallion and ation and maintenance of healthy, Toronto Mayor David Miller. high functioning communities "Our intention is to meet with all · Provide funding to enable pubthe mayors in the GTA...making lic library staff to be Service Canada sure what their needs are, what representatives their concerns are, particularly with · Provide funding for the Acton respect to transit and infrastrucAgricultural Society building which ture," said Flaherty. will be used by the society and After consulting with other indoor soccer groups RICK councillors and Town staff, · Additional municipal infraBONNETTE Bonnette highlighted to McGovern structure funding (above the gas several issues the federal government could tax) to deal specifically with rural roads and play a role in including: bridges due to the lack of a good property · Provide support and bi-lateral funding tax base for the Sport and Recreation Infrastructure · Assurance of the continuation of the program to address the $31 million infra- federal gas tax program beyond 2009/10 structure shortfall the Town is projecting · Concessions and assistance to have over the next 10 years major commercial ventures to shop local · Invest in the existing network of public instead of import products when some are made locally in Ontario or Canada · Awareness and assistance to farmers (reduction of taxes/increases in grants) because of their valuable contribution to the economy and improvements to any current policies that may be counter-productive to farmers · A concerted effort to make farming viable · Encourage and provide assistance to provinces to give municipalities more powers to raise revenues other than through property taxes/user fees and remove nonproperty tax-related items (social assistance/housing/education) off the property tax base · Tax benefits to seniors in Halton Hills · Ensure health care funding for hospitals and new Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) to protect local health care services for the growing Halton Hills community.