PROPOSED RESOLUTION FOR TOWN OF MARKHAM

April 30, 2007

 

Whereas local and timely access to health care and social services is essential for building strong, prosperous and healthy communities;

 

Whereas the Town of Markham, as part of the GTA/905, is among the fastest growing communities in Ontario and a key community in the Provincial Growth Plan for Ontario

 

Whereas existing Provincial funding for health care and social services fails to take into account the need for additional local health and social services in high growth communities across Ontario such as the Town of Markham and other communities across the GTA/905

 

Whereas there is a $1.5 billion gap in provincial funding for health and social services in the Town of Markham and the GTA/905 regions compared to the rest of Ontario and the funding gap has grown over the last several years;

 

Whereas Premier McGuinty’s position on the federal funding gap for Ontario and the need for a fairer share of federal transfer payments based on population size is the same situation being faced by the Town of Markham and other GTA/905 communities in terms of provincial funding for health and social services;

 

Whereas the Federal Government has now acknowledged the need to distribute federal funds Provinces on a per capita basis and the Province of Ontario is now receiving an additional $1 billion from the Federal Government to pay for health and social services in Ontario;

 

And Whereas York Region residents are now contributing more that $170 million to the Province of Ontario by way of the health care tax;

 

Be it resolved that the Town of Markham ask the Province of Ontario to:

 

1.      Provide immediate growth funding to GTA/905 hospitals and health and social services so they can meet the needs of the growing number of residents in their communities

 

2.      Commit to allocating provincial health and social services funding to Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN) and Ontario regions on the basis of population size, growth and characteristics, i.e., population-based funding.

 

3.      Develop a health and social services plan for Ontario’s high growth regions to help build the “complete communities” envisioned in Places to Grow.

 

And that this resolution be sent to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and the Minister of Finance.