www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, February 3, 2017 | 1 0 Halton threatens to halt development over provincial funding: Carr by Marta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff Halton Region will halt development, unless the Province of Ontario provides adequate funding to support the corresponding population growth, says Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. "The Province is presently breaking its agreement with Halton on what it is supposed to be funding in transfers," charged Carr, in a recent media release. "If they don't provide sustainable funding, that includes the cost of growth, then Halton Region is not going to implement the Places to Grow Act, and we will refuse to increase growth in our region." Carr said Halton has a mechanism through its Official Plan to shut down growth. The Region has a long-standing practice that regional council must approve an acceptable financing plan before proceeding with growth-related programs. "We have to have a way to control the growth," Carr said. The provincial Places to Grow Act mandates Halton will grow to one million people by 2041, but municipalities do not have adequate revenue tools to satisfy the "growth pays for growth" principle, said Carr, adding he' s told Halton Chair Gary Carr the Province: "If you can't fund growth, don't make us grow." To support provincially-mandated growth, Carr said Halton faces a shortfall of $14.1 million, which includes a loss in development charges revenue, resulting in a 10 per cent tax impact on the Regional tax bill. Development charges are fees collected by municipalities from developers to help fund services to help pay for the cost of infrastructure, such as roads, transit, water and sewer infrastructure. Municipalities receive only 11 per cent of every tax dollar, and Halton continues to experience funding shortfalls in public Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn health programs, including paramedic services. Carr said regional officials have met with the Povince, often to ask for changes to the Development Charges Act to recover more for infrastructure. In a statement to The Oalmlle Beaver, Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn stated, "Since 2003, the Ontario government has made significant investments into Halton that matter most to residents. Thanks to provincial investments, three hospitals serve Halton, including the new state-of-the-art Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and significant expansion has gone into Milton and Georgetown hospitals. "Construction is well underway at the incredible new ErinoakKids facility that will help support children and families meet the challenges of everyday life. And Ontario is making unprecedented levels of investment into GO Transit and our highways to help people move easier through the region so they can get to where they're going. "The fact of the matter is, all levels of government need to work together and be accountable to residents in the region. By working responsibly, rather than telling other levels of government what they should do, residents are always better served and the community thrives," the statement continued. ALL LOCATIONS ARE LOCATED INSIDE LONGOS & ARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Op N e e d h e lp w it h h o u s e - c le a n in g ? A L e t u s d o it fo r y o u ! Discover cleaning service th at's affordable, reliable, and convenient. BBB morellts p h a r m a c y Filling prescriptions. Fulfilling expectations. MORELLISPHARMACY.COM I ONLINE PRESCRIPTION RENEWAL I COMPOUNDING AVAILABLE i S u n r is e C le a n in g S e r v ic e s Call us today for a free estimate! 905-567-1199 Check out our current specials at: FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED We make transferring your prescriptions easy Have you had your flu shot? No appointment necessary w w w .S u n r is e - C le a n in g .c a H __ Servicing Oakville for over 20 years! Fast, professional services inside your Oakville and Burlington LONGO'S · Recurring cleaning. · One time cleaning. ·Spring cleaning. · Post renovation cleaning. · Moving cleaning. ^ · Gift certificates. ^ . .. E n jo y y o u r and leave the clean if e ig to us! _ hjyecrO FTnQ 0D _ O A K V IL L E 25 Y E A R S IN O A K V ILLE SEED CYLINDERS! d s Q M m te c f jre S hop SPECiAL Rno tectiy.our c S E S S E Investm entIt w i t h t h e o p t im u m i n v e h ic le r u s t Valia only at participating store listed. Offer not valid on previous purchases. Offer valid until February 6th, 2017 $15 off and c o n tr o l a n d m u c h m o r e ! free fast wax NEW CARS, USED CARS, RUSTY CARS... WE DO IT ALL with this ad. 2 !!> Offer expires 905.827.7878 Feb 28, 2017 Fo r c o u p o n s and specials visit... c HAMILTON. TORONTO, 3 3 5 0 F A IR V IE W S T R E E T , B U R L IN G T O N 9 0 5 -6 3 4 -7 7 0 0 · E M A IL : w b u 1 @ b e lln e t.c a WE BRiNG PEOPLE & NATURE TOGETHER 1490 U N IT # 5 S P E E R S R O A D , O A K V IL L E