Stormwater Funding -- from Grandview Area RA to General Committee June 10, 2013

Good morning Councillors Burke, Shore,  and other members of Council:

I too was made aware of this issue late yesterday and would like to thank
Toinette Bezant for submitting her comments so expeditiously.

GARA was also taken by surprised by the recommendation to remove the Gas Tax
from storm water infrastructure funding.

We were very encouraged, earlier this year, by Council's apparent
understanding of the importance of this issue when it passed the motion for
storm water infrastructure to be funded on a city-wide basis.

Now, this report that recommends the exclusion of one of the most important
ways to fund that work seems inconsistent and inconceivable.  We fail to
understand the rationale for this recommendation, especially since the Gas
Tax was specifically meant to be used for municipal infrastructure projects
and other cities are doing just that.

What is the logic of the majority of Council (a large majority) agreeing to
fund storm water infrastructure on a city wide basis and then voting to
remove a major source of funding to permit that to happen?  June is too late
for an April Fool's joke.

I am sure that Markham can come up with many ways of using the Gas Tax, but
I doubt that they are more important than keeping raw sewage out of our
basements and our waterways,  keeping our roads, bridges, and other public
assets from flooding, or keeping our residents safe in their homes and
businesses.

Thank you for considering our views.

Marilyn Ginsburg,
Grandview Area Residents Assoc.

Stormwater Funding -- from Bayview Glen RA to General Committee June 10, 2013

June 10, 2013.

Dear Councillor Burke and Councillor Shore,

Re: General Committee: Stormwater Rate Study, Final Report Funding Option (5.0),

On behalf of the Bayview Glen Residents Association, I wish to raise a concern with the Stormwater Funding report to be presented to General Committee on Monday, June 10th. 

The Bayview Glen Residents Association supports the recommendations of the report, however, cannot support item number five (5), which recommends that the Canada Gas Tax Fund be removed from consideration as an a potential funding source to offset stormwater funding costs.

The purpose and intent of the Canada Gas Tax Fund is meant to assist municipalities in meeting the challenge of a growing infrastructure funding gap.

In 2008, a joint municipal and provincial study identified that within a ten year period, Ontario municipalities will experience a $60 billion infrastructure investment funding gap (Source: The Province-Municipal Fiscal Service Review, PMFSDR, 2008).  

Many Ontario municipalities have utilized the federal Gas Tax Fund to cover the cost of stormwater infrastructure projects otherwise not possible through current funding methods.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), in a 2011 Gas Tax Expenditure Report, identified 42 federally funded  municipal wastewater projects (of which stormwater is included); of the 42 Gas Tax funded wastewater projects, over half of the projects, 27 projects in all, were stormwater infrastructure projects. 

Any consideration by Council to endorse the recommendation to remove Gas Tax Funding from inclusion as part of the long term stormwater funding strategy would not be consistent with the manner in which Ontario municipalities have utilized the federal Gas Tax Fund nor do we believe is consistent with the overall intent and purpose of the federal Fund.

Prior to any decision as to allocation of the federal Gas Tax Fund beyond 2014 , a full review of the City’s priorities and justification of the manner in which the federal Gas Tax fund will be allocated would be warranted.

Thank you,

Toinette Bezant, on behalf of the Bayview Glen Residents Association
bayviewglen@yahoo.ca

cc: Thornhill Stormwater Liaison Committee
Marilyn Ginsburg,
Evelin Ellison
Eileen Liasi