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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, December 3, 2009 · 4 Knoll trying to revive Oakville sexual health clinic By Tim Foran OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A regional councillor's push to include a new sexual health clinic in Oakville, already once postponed, in Halton's 2010 budget could endanger a planned property tax freeze for regional services next year. "I just do not believe this is the type of initiative...to dial back on in order to achieve a zero (tax increase) budget," explained Oakville Councillor Jeff Knoll to colleagues on the health and social services committee Tuesday morning. The committee endorsed a motion by Knoll for staff to report back to the budget committee Dec. 14 with options on how to fund the half million dollars in costs for the clinic, the majority of which are one-time, start-up costs. Alternatives could include making cuts to other programs or finding alterative sources of funding. However, Knoll recognized he might be seen as a "killjoy" if it is found there is no other mechanism to finance the clinic except property tax dollars. "I don't want to be the one responsible for a 0.2 per cent tax increase or whatever it will be," admitted Knoll. The tax impact of the clinic would likely be slightly below that percentage. A Regional spokesperson has said every $3 million in net costs equates to a ones per cent tax hike. "I just do not believe this is the type of initiative...to dial back on in order to achieve a zero (tax increase) budget.." Jeff Knoll, Oakville Ward 3 Regional Councillor In real dollar terms, adding the clinic would cost an extra couple of bucks next year for the typical household assessed at $300,000, or a $1 per capita cost for Halton residents. The cost is light relative to the Region's proposed $1.1 billion 2010 budget, but the impact heading into an election year might be heavy. Council supported Chair Gary Carr's push last spring for Halton to achieve a tax freeze next year, which he stated was in recognition of the financial troubles Halton's residents are facing. Prior to putting forward his motion, Knoll said he understood concern about not achieving a zero tax hike, but said he couldn't ignore the health department's prior assertion that there is an "unmet need" by not having a sexual health clinic in Oakville. The Region operates part-time clinics in Acton, Georgetown, and Milton and one full- time clinic in Burlington that was designed to serve all of south Halton. "The kids of Oakville are not using this (Burlington) clinic," said Knoll, citing health department reports. Halton's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal said there is a three to four week waitlist for people to access the Burlington clinic, and the Region knows it is not being used as much as expected by Oakville youths, which he cited as likely being due to the distance. Attendance at the Region's clinic in Acton "skyrocketed" after it was moved close to the high school from its previous location in the downtown, explained Nosal. The clinics provide anonymous and immediate HIV screening, birth control counselling, pregnancy testing, relationship counselling and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections such as the increasingly prevalent chlamydia. Opening the clinic in Oakville is included in the Region's 2007-2010 strategic plan and funding for it had been included in this year's budget before council dropped the project, noted Knoll. Community youths had petitioned for the clinic three years ago, he added. "I don't believe I can, in good conscience, vote for a flatline budget with this item removed," he said. To include the clinic, but achieve a tax freeze means Nosal would have to find savings in other areas of his department's proposed $45.5 million ($13 million net) budget, said Regional CAO Pat Moyle. Regional staff are already planning to tap into Halton's tax stabilization reserve fund to help cover an expected increase in the number of people applying for Ontario Works (welfare) assistance, and the fund would be below council's guidelines. One potential revenue source not accounted for in the budget is the $1.29 million Halton would receive as compensation for Mississauga's annexation of close to 1,000 acres of land currently in Milton. That annexation, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, still requires Provincial approval. However, when Halton regional council approved recently the annexation, it endorsed a staff recommendation to put that money into the tax capital reserve, meaning it wouldn't be available to fund the sexual health clinic unless council voted to redirect the funds. ForestEthics lobby Raitt for climate change action Hundreds of Halton residents are calling on Halton MP Lisa Raitt to take a leadership role at the upcoming UN Climate Change Summit. A dozen local citizens hand-delivered more than 800 postcards to Raitt's constituency office last Friday urging her to take a stand on global warming and ensure clean energy for future generations. The postcards were collected as part of ForestEthics' Your Vote, Their Future initiative, which encourages voters to push the federal government to tackle global warming. "At doorsteps across Milton I've been hearing that people, in particular parents, are worried about what global warming could mean for them," said Ian Carey, ForestEthics' Halton outreach co-ordinator. "I have not heard a single person say they want more tar sands extracted and less action to tackle global warming, which is the current approach of the federal government." ForestEthics is a non-profit organization with a mission to protect endangered forests and wild places, wild life and human well-being. The UN Climate Change Summit will start this Monday in Copenhagen, Denmark. 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