Friday, October 25, 2024 3 Brooklin Town Crier Brooklin is Tanya Tierney Country! Call or Text: 905.706.3131 office@tanyatierneyteam.com 49 Baldwin St. Brooklin *Based on units sold TREB MLS statistics Proudly the #1 Realtor in Brooklin since 2012* #1 Realtor in Whitby since 2014* 65 Bellhouse Pl, Brooklin For Sale!For Sale! `130 Myrtle Rd E, Ashburn For Sale!For Sale! 45 Joshua Blvd, Brooklin For Sale! 9 Burgundy Crt, Whitby For Sale!For Sale! 8 Nathan Ave, Brooklin For Sale!For Sale! 30 Ferguson Ave, Brooklin For Sale!For Sale! 32 Holsted Road, Brooklin For Sale! 34 Wells Cres, Brooklin For Sale!For Sale! By Elizabeth Roy This fall, I have the privilege of speaking with Whitby residents about the Town's 2025 Budget at a series of "Talk Budget with Mayor Roy" sessions in the community. Not surprisingly, one of the things I'm hearing most is that our residents are struggling with the difficult economy and are concerned about property taxes. I share those concerns. Municipal budgets are getting more and more challenging, and this year is no exception. Our residents are often not aware that the property tax increases we're seeing across Ontario are partly the result of the province offloading costs to municipal governments in the 1990s. Municipalities are increasingly being asked to deliver and pay for services that are the responsibility of the province including public health, social services, and childcare. Nearly a third of municipal spending now goes to services that are the province's jurisdiction, resulting in a funding gap of $4 billion annually across Ontario. I'm encouraged by the fact that the province announced a "new deal" for Toronto in 2023, agreeing to take over the cost of the Gardiner E x p r e s s w a y and Don Valley Parkway, to help ease Toronto's financial pressures. We need the same kind of support for other municipalities. That's why Ontario Big City Mayors (OBCM) and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) have been sounding the alarm, calling for a provincial-municipal fiscal review. The last significant review of the provincial-municipal fiscal framework was more than 15 years ago. Property taxes in Ontario continue to be among the highest in the country, but provincial program spending is the lowest in Canada at $11,794 per capita. According to AMO, if Ontario's program spending was equal to the average expenditures of the other provinces and territories, the Ontario budget would reflect an additional $28 billion in expenditures annually. While the province benefits from income and sales taxes that grow with the economy -- and has a surplus as a result -- municipalities are largely dependent on property taxes, which do not grow with the economy. Municipal revenues are not keeping pace with inflation, economic growth, or the rapidly increasing demand for services. At the same time, municipalities are facing unprecedented challenges related to rapid population growth, climate change, and a crisis of increasing homelessness, addictions, and mental health issues. The bottom line? The current system is failing us, placing an unfair burden on property taxpayers. In Whitby, we're working to make our budget more cost-effective. For example, 2025 is our first multi-year budget, which better positions the municipality to continue implementing action items in Whitby's Community Strategic Plan, focus on long- term goals, anticipate future needs, and provide transparency to residents. The 2025 Budget will still be a tough one for Whitby Council to navigate - and so will every budget after it until we get a new provincial-municipal fiscal framework. My last "Talk Budget with Mayor Roy" event for 2024 is coming up Nov. 6 from 7 to 8 p.m. in Council Chambers at Whitby Town Hall, 575 Rossland Rd. E. I hope you'll join me to share your thoughts and questions on Whitby's 2025 Budget. Elizabeth Roy is mayor of the Town of Whitby How much municipal spending to provincial services? Talk Budget with Mayor Roy The Talk Budget with the mayor series continues with the following dates and times: Oct. 24 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Central Library, 405 Dundas St. W. Nov. 6 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Whitby Town Hall, 575 Rossland Rd. E