Chris Carr responds to issues impacting the community

On Feb 17, 2025, at 5:07 PM, Christopher Carr <christophercarr@gpo.ca> wrote:

1. Addressing the Municipal Tax Burden and Policing Costs

Most municipalities are struggling financially to maintain infrastructure and service levels. What actions do you and your party propose to help with the tax burden on smaller municipalities? Do you support ongoing funding for policing costs or the uploading of such costs to the provincial level?

The Green Party recognizes that municipalities like Tiny Township are struggling under increasing costs downloaded from the province. Property taxes are an inequitable form of taxation that does not consider income or service usage. To ease this burden, the Green Party supports:

• Revenue-Sharing: Returning a portion of the provincial gas tax and HST to municipalities, providing a stable funding source without raising property taxes.

• Policing Costs: Uploading a portion of policing costs back to the provincial level, recognizing that community safety is a shared provincial responsibility. This will alleviate pressure on local budgets and ensure consistent service levels.

• Infrastructure Funding: Introducing a permanent Municipal Green Infrastructure Fund to help rural communities upgrade and maintain essential services like water systems and roads.

In Tiny Township specifically, the Stop the Build campaign highlights how poor spending choices strain municipal budgets. This is a prime example of why we need provincial support for municipalities to cover essential services without resorting to excessive property tax hikes.

2. Reviewing and Modernizing the Municipal Act

Municipal councils are governed by the Municipal Act, which is overseen by the provincial government. The last significant update to the Act was in 2001. Do you support a review of the Act to reflect current developments and recent concerns raised by constituents regarding fiscal mismanagement, lack of transparency, qualifications to run for office, and ability to create opportunities for constituents to implement changes during a council term?

Yes, I strongly support a comprehensive review of the Municipal Act, which has not been significantly updated since 2001. The Act should be modernized to address concerns such as:

• Transparency and Accountability: Strengthening public consultation requirements, mandating the disclosure of long-term financial impacts for major projects, and enhancing oversight mechanisms to prevent fiscal mismanagement.

• Qualifications for Office: Introducing basic eligibility requirements, such as financial literacy training, to ensure council members are prepared for complex budgetary decisions.

• Public Engagement Rights: Creating a mechanism for constituents to trigger a referendum on major capital projects or policy decisions, ensuring that councils remain responsive to the communities they serve.

In Tiny Township, the current council’s disregard for public input on the new administrative building highlights the urgent need for legislative reforms that empower residents to hold their elected officials accountable between elections.

3. Supporting Constituents Against the Unnecessary Tiny Township Building Project

Tiny Township council is following a path that would commit taxpayers to massive costs for an administrative building that is not needed, wanted, or affordable. How would you support constituents to stop this massive waste?

The proposed $50 million administrative building is a textbook case of wasteful spending: unnecessary, unsupported, and unaffordable. As a Green Party candidate and advocate for the Stop the Build campaign, I would:

• Push for a Provincial Review: Advocate for an audit of the project under the Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing Ministry to assess financial feasibility and adherence to best practices.

• Support Democratic Action: Work with residents to pursue a binding plebiscite or referendum on the project, ensuring the community has the final say.

• Promote Sustainable Alternatives: Propose cost-effective solutions, such as retrofitting existing facilities or exploring shared service models with neighboring municipalities.

This fight is about more than a building—it’s about respecting taxpayers, preserving our environment, and ensuring that every dollar spent serves the community’s real needs. The residents of Tiny Township deserve a council that listens to them, not one that imposes costly, unwanted projects.