Letter From Gary Carr - Halton Regional Chair
*"The Elimination of GTA Pooling *
On Thursday, March 22, the Provincial government announced the 2007
Ontario Budget. An important piece of the Budget for Halton taxpayers is
the elimination of GTA Pooling, which Halton Region has been advocating for.
GTA Pooling was established in 1998 to share social assistance and
social housing costs across the GTA. Since the program started Halton
Region has contributed $325 million to the City of Toronto for their
social services costs.
As part of the provincial government's plan, Pooling will be reduced by
one-sixth of its 2004 levels each year until the program is completely
eliminated by 2013. This will result in a savings of close to $6 million
this year alone to Halton Region.
GTA Pooling was an unfair burden on Halton taxpayers and those across
the GTA. I applaud the Ontario Government for listening to the advocacy
efforts of myself, Halton's four mayors, as well as Regional and Local
Councillors, by taking steps to eliminate GTA Pooling.
The elimination of GTA Pooling puts us one step one step further to
ensuring fairness for Halton. It is important now for Halton to continue
to push the Provincial Government for the funding commitments and
financial tools we need to ensure that growth pays for itself, and that
the cost of growth is not on the backs of our current residents.
GTA Pooling was just one of the many shortfalls facing Halton Region
with impending growth as a result of the Province's Places to Grow Plan.
To address the shortfalls, Halton will continue to ask the Province to
provide an enhanced municipal infrastructure funding program, make
immediate changes to the Development Charges Act, and address
inequalities in provincial cost sharing requirements. A review being
undertaken by the province is not timely enough. We will continue to
call for immediate action to allow Halton to address the current
infrastructure deficits and respond to the objectives in the Places to
Grow Plan
To find out more about the elimination of GTA Pooling, you can contact
Halton Region at 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866),
TTY 905-827-9833, or visit our website at www.halton.ca
<http://www.halton.ca/>. I would like to remind you also, that if you
have not visited our page on Fairness for Halton, please do so. There
you will find a postcard that you can forward to your local MPP and MP
to support our efforts to achieve fairness for Halton.
Sincerely,
Gary Carr
Regional Chair"
1 comment:
When we go into a retailer here in Oakville, we pay GST and PST.
If the Province were to abolish PST, that retailer would no longer be able to charge us PST. If they did, they would be breaking the Law and would be subject to a number of charges, one of them could be theft.
Why is it then that Halton should assume that just because the GTA Pooling charge has been reduced, they should automatically assume that the difference belongs in their pockets? This is no less theft of Taxpayers money than charging a tax that doesn't exist.
Legally, the money is ours, and Halton are just acting as Tax Collectors. If the tax is reduced, the Halton should allow us to make the decision what we want to do with that tax money.
I personally would choose to put it towards providing a rapid transit system between the north and south of Halton, rather than having to travel into Toronto to get via train from one side of the region to the other. But Others might choose differently.
Halton is trying to build trust with its resident's. Diverting money under the scam that it's something you have won for the region is not a good way of doing it. Trust is based upon honesty, full honesty. It's not Halton's money. If you would like to spend it on Infrastructure (as opposed to staff income rises) then be straight up about it. Say 'We need to improve the infrastructure, and we need to pay for that with taxes, instead of raising taxes we will take the $6 from the GTA pooling and use that, saving an increase in residentil taxes.' Be truthful and don't try and bluff and blunder your way through stealing it, and you will instantly earn my trust.
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