WHEREAS Eastern Ontario’s small rural municipalities face insurmountable challenges to fund both new growth related infrastructure and ongoing maintenance of their capital assets including local roads and bridges, clean water, wastewater, waste facilities, and municipally owned buildings including recreational facilities and libraries; and
WHEREAS the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has calculated that Municipal Governments across Canada are responsible for approximately 60 percent of public infrastructure that supports our economy and quality of life, but only receive 10 cents of every tax dollar; and
WHEREAS the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) region’s capital infrastructure deficit has increased by 58 percent since 2011 and is now at $6 billion, and growing; and
WHEREAS in 2018, the Ontario Government mandated all Ontario municipalities to develop and fully fund capital asset management plans by July 2025; and
WHEREAS the EOWC has released a regional Municipal Infrastructure Policy Paper showing key infrastructure data, opportunities and challenges in small rural municipalities across Eastern Ontario; and
WHEREAS Eastern Ontario is a growing economy that can grow more with sustainable, innovative infrastructure partnership and investment from the Federal and Ontario Governments; and
WHEREAS the infrastructure deficit for small rural municipalities cannot be adequately addressed through property tax revenue, restricted municipal borrowing capacity, and municipalities limited ability to generate revenue; and
WHEREAS small rural taxpayers cannot afford dramatic increases to pay for the current and future infrastructure.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Corporation of the Town of Carleton Place joins the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in calling on the Federal and Ontario Governments to immediately and sustainably partner with Municipal Governments by investing in both the new and ongoing maintenance and repairs of municipal infrastructure in Eastern Ontario’s small rural municipalities; and
THAT the Federal and Ontario Governments immediately review data and work together to implement solutions based on the EOWC’s Municipal Infrastructure Policy Paper in partnership with small rural municipalities; and
FINALLY THAT this resolution be forwarded to The Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities of Canada; The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; The Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure; The Honourable Paul Calandra, Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; The Honourable Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Rural Affairs; The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario Minister of Finance; The Honourable Prabmeet Sakaria, Ontario Minister of Transportation; The Honourable Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; Scott Reid MP; John Jordan MPP; Federation of Canadian Municipalities; Association of Municipalities of Ontario; Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Rural Ontario Municipal Association; Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus.