Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy has criticized the provincial budget for failing to address the “significant challenges” such as progress on the new hospital and the funding gap that the town faces.
“…while I recognize the complexity of the decisions before the provincial government, I am concerned that Whitby’s key priorities were not reflected,” the mayor said.
She said Whitby is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Canada, and “we are facing significant challenges that were not addressed in this budget”.
She gave the example of recent legislative changes that have resulted in a funding gap that impacts Whitby’s ability to deliver services and ensure it has the infrastructure to support its growing population.
New Hospital
She pointed out that access to services like a new hospital, is critical to supporting healthcare close to home as Whitby and Durham grow.
“Nearly two years after the province announced the planning grant for a new hospital in Whitby, the town continues to do its part to work with partners to acquire the land. Lakeridge Health also continues to advocate for the capital commitment to move the project forward. We are asking the province to prioritize this project and move forward on next steps including project timeline and land, and capital commitments.”
Funding Gap
“Ontario municipalities face a $4 billion annual shortfall caused by provincial downloading, as well as a $1.5 billion annual burden from social housing costs being placed on municipalities. Council recently supported my motion calling on the province to address the broken provincial-municipal funding system. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario has also consistently called on the province to address this issue,” Mayor Roy said.
The mayor said she will continue to advocate for solutions that ensure Whitby is able to offer a strong quality of life to residents now and in the future.
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