December 9, 2024
On Friday Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) caucus met to discuss priorities for Ontario’s biggest cities as we head into a new year that will include two elections. The mayors discussed preparations for both a provincial and federal election in 2025, and how they would continue to advocate for the priorities of their communities that collectively represent 70% of Ontario’s population.
Over the next year OBCM will focus on their three key priorities which include:
- The homelessness, mental health, safety and addictions crisis
- A new deal for cities
- Building homes and housing enabling infrastructure
They also raised concerns about the continued downloading of services to the municipal tax base from the province, causing significant increases in property tax as municipalities are preparing next year’s budgets. One of the main drivers of this increase in many communities is policing costs, and this is something that the mayor’s caucus will be doing further analysis on.
Additionally the mayors confirmed the new OBCM Executive Committee which will lead the caucus over the next two years:
- Chair – Mayor Marianne Meed Ward – Burlington
- Vice-Chair – Mayor Alex Nuttall – Barrie
- Past-Chair – Mayor Cam Guthrie – Guelph
- Treasurer – Mayor Bryan Paterson – Kingston
- Secretary – Mayor Elizabeth Roy – Whitby
Last week OBCM also commented on the Auditor General’s report audit of the Implementation and Oversight of Ontario’s Opioid Strategy, including how many of the recommendations from this audit mirror OBCM’s SolvetheCrisis.ca campaign and subsequent resolutions (full statement here). OBCM also welcomed Premier Ford’s recent announcement which responds to a number of our caucus requests for action on the humanitarian crisis of mental health, addictions and homelessness unfolding in our communities. Specifically, we are pleased to see a commitment to additional funding for shelters, to transition people out of encampments; prioritizing treatment and rehabilitation over incarceration; prohibiting open drug use in public spaces; and joining court cases to advocate for the needs of Ontarians.
“Municipalities have been doing our part, but we cannot do this alone, especially with the increased pressure on our property tax base,” said Mayor Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington and Chair of OBCM. “As we head into a new year with potentially two elections, we will continue to advocate for our municipalities focusing on creating complete communities that include the housing, amenities and services that our residents need, as well as being safe and welcoming to all.”
About Ontario’s Big City Mayors
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) is an organization that includes mayors of 29 single and lower-tier cities with a population of 100,000 or more, who collectively represent nearly 70 percent of Ontario’s population. OBCM advocates for issues and policies important to Ontario’s largest cities.
Media Contacts
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Chair Michelle Baker, Executive Director
chair@obcm.ca michelle@obcm.ca
905-335-7777 647-308-6602