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Council has until April 24 to decide on hospital funding Continued from page 1 3 · Friday, March 5, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com "There is some information that we don't have and we have actually asked for over and over. What is the exact amount being asked for this? Is it $170 million, is it $200 million, is it $230 million or is it $383 million? We have not been able to nail that down. The reason we can't nail down what it is, is because we can't find out what the rate of interest is," said Burton. "The other question we have is what is really included in this package. What do we really get? For example, we at this moment still don't know whether there really is a cancer centre in the new hospital and we still don't know when or whether there would ever be 457 beds or just room for them. We have some anxieties that have not yet been allayed." Burton said he was delighted the Province had given council until April 24 to find some of these answers, since they are necessary for council to be able to make a responsible deci- sion. The hospital question has drawn considerable public interest. If council agrees to a $200 million contribution, property taxes would go up. One payment model shows an escalation in property taxes from $15 per year per $100,000 of assessment in 2015 to $35 per year per $100,000 of assessment over 30 years. Around 27 delegations spoke during the council meeting, which stretched into three segments over three days, with supporters and dissenters expressing their views. Oakville resident Ken Robertson voiced concerns about the $200-million contribution stating the hospital should not be a luxury condo and the costs involved might be greatly reduced if some the extravagant aspects like the family accommodation areas were taken out. Oakville resident Brian Hopkins expressed concern about the uncertainty around the future of the existing Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) site when it is replaced by the new hospital at the corner of Dundas Street and Third Line in 2015. He also objected to nearby communities not paying for the hospital when their residents would almost certainly be using it. "How can this spending be justified at a time when council is freezing spending on new services? A lengthy marketing campaign has provided very little information about the costs of the proposed hospital. The $200 million is only one part of the stated $530 million wanted from our community. Local fundraising (by the Oakville Hospital Foundation) is said to cover $60 million (hospital revenue will cover the remaining $270 million). What are the plans for how to raise this amount? Is it achievable? Where is the track record to support these lofty goals? What happens if there's a shortfall?" asked Hopkins. "Show us the realistic plans for fundraising and revenue portions of the local share before asking for our tax dollars." At Wednesday's meeting, Burton addressed the issue of residents from other communities using the hospital. He said charging the other Halton communities was not practical. "I've been trying to say to the public, when I interact with them on this question of charging other communities, how much we go to other communities, so many of my friends have gone to other facilities to get the specialized care they need, and I don't believe that is going to change," said Burton. "I said to one of these people, `You expect to be able to charge other people to come here, aren't you aware that you would have to pay to go to these other places if you needed those.' So let's get over that." Residents supporting the $200-million contribution also spoke. Mark Dawson said the proposed tax increased wasn't a lot to ask for what Halton Healthcare Services is offering. See Doctors page 4 DURHAM FURNITURE FREE NIGHTSTAND EVENT Purchase Bed & Bedroom Pieces from Any Collection of Durham Furniture... Receive One Night Stand FREE! 217 Lakeshore Rd. E. Downtown Oakville Swiss Interiors Ltd. WWW.SWISSINTERIORS.COM Proudly Supporting Canadian Manufacturers 905-844-3530 Sign Up On Line www.ultimatedrivers.ca DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE, LET US HELP YOUR EARN IT Six Programs to choose from: 17 Years ent of Excell Service · Defensive Driving Certificate Program - MTO Approved Minimizes Road Test Time and Qualifies for Maximum Insurance Discount · Advance Defensive Driving Program Minimizes Road Test Time, Qualifies for Maximum Insurance Discount and Teaches You Emergency Skills · Driver Retraining Program for Reinstating Driver's License · Complete Refresher Program Prepares you for G2 or G License · Refresher Program Helps Reviewing your Driving Habits for Test · Preparation and Evaluation Warm Up Practice Before the Test WEEKEND & EVENING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. MARCH BREAK SPECIAL 4 DAY CONDENSED PROGRAM MARCH 13-16 MARCH 17-20 * $ Valid on Defensive Driving Program Only SAVE 50.00 407 Speers Road Suite 205 s r r TM Gift Certificates Available 905-825-1172