March 28, 2024
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) welcomes today’s announcement from the province of a new deal for our caucus member the City of Ottawa. This funding will make a significant impact as it supports the city on not only large scale capital projects through revitalizing major roads and building highways, but also supports downtown revitalization through investments in transit, community safety and shelters and other programs for the city’s most vulnerable population.
The province’s new deals for both Toronto and Ottawa have shown that they recognize that Ontario’s big cities are struggling to meet the financial demands of continuing to deliver and pay for infrastructure and services that are the responsibility of the province. Municipal taxpayers are collectively subsidizing the province to the tune of $4 billion a year, and all municipalities deserve a new financial deal to address these rising costs.
Ontario’s Big City Mayors renew our call for the province to sit down with municipalities to review the provincial-municipal fiscal framework which hasn’t been done for more than 15 years. Our cities and taxpayers deserve a change in how tax dollars are allocated between governments to make things more efficient and fairer for everyone.
“OBCM is pleased to see the province investing in the City of Ottawa with a new deal to ensure the city’s sustainable, long-term growth and prosperity. This new deal shows that the province recognizes that Ontario’s biggest cities are in need of significant new funding outside of the municipal tax base,” said Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington and Chair of OBCM. “We want to work together to create a new deal for all cities that will help Ontario municipalities grow and thrive for years to come.”
About Ontario’s Big City Mayors
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), formerly known as the Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario, 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