York Region participates in Ontario 2024 Budget consultation process
Newmarket – The Regional Municipality of York is participating in Ontario’s 2024 Budget consultation by submitting comments in advance of the 2024 provincial budget.
“We work closely with all levels of government to achieve shared priorities such as affordable housing, efficient transportation and thriving economies,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. “By participating in the annual provincial budget consultation, we can help to further articulate and advocate for the needs of our growing and diverse communities.”
To address anticipated current and future community needs, York Region is submitting requests in the following five categories:
- Financial impacts of Bill 23 More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022: Confirm York Region will be made financially whole because of changes to the Development Charges Act, 1997
- Infrastructure required to meet provincial housing targets: Provide funding for the cost of the unplanned and accelerated infrastructure needed to meet provincial housing targets
- Housing affordability challenges: Contribute $216 million equivalent to the Province’s one-third share of funding for 1,852 new community housing units and provide stable long-term funding for housing affordability programs
- Transit priorities: Maintain provincial gas tax funding at its current level and provide additional funding for priority bus rapid transit projects
- Human and health service needs: Contribute funding to address homelessness, manage the influx of asylum seekers and meet growing demand and costs in other human and health services programs
With the introduction of Bill 23, York Region estimates development charge collections will be reduced by $700 million over the next 10 years. Development charges help fund the critical infrastructure needed to accommodate the Provincial targets of 150,000 new homes, across York Region, by 2031.
The Province acknowledges the challenges facing municipalities and has pledged to keep municipalities financially whole. York Region, as an upper-tier municipality, is ineligible for funding from the Building Faster Fund, which is helping municipalities with housing targets address some of these challenges.
Without new Provincial funding, building infrastructure such as water, roads and sewers, needed to service new homes could result in a one-time tax levy increase of 3.7% in 2024 and a one-time water and wastewater rate increase of 7.9% in 2025.
“York Region, like many other municipalities, is contending with an increasing population without the funds to pay for required infrastructure,” said Township of King Mayor Steve Pellegrini, Chair of Finance and Administration. “Our goal remains to deliver fiscally sustainable services. To date, there has been no specific funding commitment made to York Region to address development charge shortfalls.”
York Regional Council also endorses the Association of Ontario Municipalities of Ontario resolution for a Social and Economic Prosperity Review by the Province. Many programs, particularly in Community and Health Services, are partially funded however, municipalities continue to spend more than they receive in other areas falling under Provincial responsibility, such as social housing, long-term care, land ambulance, social services and child care.
The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to more than 1.2 million residents and 55,600 businesses with more than 615,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/regionalservices
-30-
Media Contact:
Barbara Schnier, Corporate Communications,
The Regional Municipality of York
Phone: 905-505-5775,
Email: @email
