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•Th e IFP• H alton H ills, Thursd ay, A p ril 3, 2014 9 HaltonHighlights April2014 This page has been donated by this newspaper to communicate important information to Halton residents at no cost to taxpayers. Meetings at Halton Region 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville L6M 3L1 Apr. 8, 9:30 a.m. Health & Social Services Cmte. Apr. 9, 9:30 a.m. Planning & PublicWorks Cmte. Apr. 9, 1:30 p.m. Administration & Finance Cmte. Apr. 16, 9:30 a.m. Regional Council Please contact us as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. Keeping you informed by highlighting what makes Halton a great place to live. Gary Carr, Regional Chair Halton Region is advocating for support from all levels of government in the form of long- term, predictable funding and legislative changes in order to ensure that Halton's taxpayers are not burdened with the cost of growth. By working together we can ensure that Halton remains a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire. To learn more about the Advocating for a Strong Halton campaign visit www.halton.ca/advocacy. Advocating for a Strong Halton Accommodating growth - and meeting the infrastructure needs of this growth - remains our biggest challenge. Halton's provincial growth targets must be matched with the funding to support them. We are asking the Provincial Government to: � Enhance funding sources, including changes to the Development Charges Act, that support the recovery and collection of growth related costs to ensure that Halton's taxpayers do not bear the financial impacts of growth � Provide predictable funding and deliver on committed projects to meet the infrastructure and transportation needs of our growing community � Commit to delivering long-term, sustainable funding at the agreed-upon levels of cost sharing for public health programs and Paramedic Services � Provide long-term, predictable, sustainable funding for affordable and assisted housing to meet Halton residents' housing needs Halton Region is a vibrant and growing community. My Regional Council colleagues and I are committed to ensuring that Halton remains strong and stable in the future. The Provincial Places to Grow Actmandates that Halton Region's population grow to 780,000 by 2031. To support this growth while maintaining the high quality of life we enjoy, we must ensure that growth pays for itself. Halton's strong financial position and AAA credit rating are key strengths, demonstrating that we are fiscally responsible with our budget. We have frozen or reduced taxes for eight straight years, while enhancing and maintaining service levels. We will not compromise this position of strength to accommodate growth. Working together Regional Council has a history of successfully advancing strong positions. Halton Region's advocacy work is directed through the Citizens' Priorities Action Plan and is supported by working in partnership with other municipal governments and a range of municipal associations including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). Our participation at AMO and FCM has provided us with many opportunities to initiate discussions with other levels of government about issues that impact Halton residents. Protecting Halton taxpayers from the financial impacts of growth Provincial Places to Grow Plan Halton's population doubles from 2001-2031 Source: Halton Region (2007) 2001 2007 2011 2021 2031 390 468 520 650 780 Po pu la tio n (0 00 s) 2014-2023 Total Capital Financing: $3.0B State of Good Repair $1.1B (38.1%) Growth-related Infrastructure $1.9B (61.9%) Development Charges $1.3B (67.1%) Regional Interim Financing $0.6B (32.9%)