At the Tuesday, November 12 meeting, East Hawkesbury Council unanimously adopted a resolution, formally requesting funds from the Ontario and Federal governments to aid in sustainable funding and development in the municipality.
Council is pressuring both governments to transfer funds from Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Land Transfer Tax (LTT) accounts for what they deem as enabling the municipality to “receive a fair share of the revenue to address critical infrastructure needs.”
One of the significant reasons for this request is the growing infrastructure needs in East Hawkesbury, specifically building and repairing bridges and roads, ensuring reliable public transit, and other critical services that work toward community sustainability and economic development.
Municipalities cannot rely solely on municipal revenue—property taxes and user fees—to meet increasing demands.
The Ontario government collects LTTs on property transactions throughout the province and does not directly share these revenues with the municipalities. The Federal government, on the other hand, collects GST on all property transactions, with a small percentage being dedicated back toward municipalities’ infrastructure development.
A fairer distribution of these government revenues would provide a “predictable and sustainable source of funding for local infrastructure projects without creating a new tax burden on residents or homebuyers,” the Council demands state.
Furthermore, the letter concludes that the redistribution of funds from these two income streams would allow not only East Hawkesbury, but other municipalities in the region to benefit from better planning and investments, including “long-term infrastructure initiatives, supporting local economic growth, and improving the quality of life for residents.”
The resolution will be forwarded to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Doug Ford, the Ontario Minister of Finance, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and local Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) for consideration.
