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12 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 11, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Region just can't afford growth Continued from page 10 World leader of women's intimate apparel SALE prices from WAREHOUSE $ 4 8 99 $ to 99 2320 Bristol Circle Unit 4, Oakville (Dundas & Winston Churchill) 6 Blowout Days of fabulous lingerie at our lowest prices ever... Don't miss it! Friday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Saturday Sunday June 10 June 11 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 12pm 6pm 11am 6pm 11am 9pm 11am 9pm 10am 6pm 10am 6pm ply can't afford to undertake $8.6 billion in growth-related infrastructure projects without another source of funding support. Just building new roads and water and wastewater treatment facilities is expected to cost the Region $2.5 billion by 2021, with $1.3 billion of that money required by 2011. In March, Carr said he wouldn't vote to move ahead with development in north Oakville and Milton without outside money, or at least a loan guarantee from the provincial government. His deadline of July deadline for a firm funding commitment was based on the Region's need to set budget directions for 2009. "My feeling is that we can't continue to do what we have in the past," said Carr, following the Burlington summit. "The existing taxpayer shouldn't be paying for new growth." Currently home to about 439,000 residents, Halton is expected to grow to 650,000 by 2021, and to 780,000 by 2031. The region has calculated that the population growth will require the construction of 25 community centres, eight libraries, 22 fire halls, six police stations and 2,000 lane kilometres of roadway. More "My feeling is that we can't continue to do what we have in the past. The existing taxpayer shouldn't be paying for new growth." Gary Carr, Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr schools, buses, police and landfill capacity will also be needed, along with 1,100 new hospital beds. While some relief for cashstrapped Halton may eventually come from the ProvincialMunicipal Fiscal and Service Delivery Review, it isn't likely to happen in the short-term. Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, who sits on the panel advising the government, said that while a final report was scheduled to be out this month, she hasn't seen any consensus on issues that would have a significant impact on municipalities. She added that, at this point, she's simply pushing for the adoption of the principle that recognizes that social services such as welfare and social housing should not be paid for out of property taxes. "Until we set the basic principle, we're just tinkering with the system." While politicians who attended the summit in Burlington agreed on the fundamental problem, there was less agreement on a solution. Fisch suggested that a municipal sales tax, which would allow municipalities to see some benefit from growth, would be effective. However, Burlington Mayor Cam Jackson rejected that idea and encouraged his colleagues to stop looking to the provincial and federal governments for help. "What we need to convince the public is that we're committed to something besides the blame game," he said. Jackson suggested a GTA-wide Innovation Round Table be organized to look at ways to do a better job building complete communities.