HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 27, 1995 (Special)
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COUNCIL MINUTES
A Special Meeting of the Pickering Town Council was held on Wednesday, September 27, 1995
at 6:30 p.m.
PRESENT:
Mayor Wayne Arthurs
COUNCILLORS:
M. Brenner
D. Farr
R. Johnson (left at 6:55 p.m.)
E. Pistritto
D. Ryan
S. Senis
ALSO PRESENT:
C.M.T. Sheffield - Town Manager
B. Taylor - Town Clerk
D. Kearns - Co-ordinator of Council Services
Pursuant to Section 3 of By-law Number 3665/91, this Special meeting of Council was called by
Mayor Arthurs to endorse in principle the submission of the Mayors and Regional Chairs dated
September 15, 1995 entitled "Leading By Example" - Towards a GTA Consensus.
Mayor Arthurs gave an overview of the events and reports leading up to the September 15th
submission.
The Town Manager gave an overview of the eight recommendations embodied in Report M 22/95
entitled "Submission to the Greater Toronto Area Task Force".
Resolution #197/95
Moved by Councillor Brenner
Seconded by Councillor Senis
That Council hear delegations with respect to the Greater Toronto Area.
CARRIED
--2--
Janis Frampton, 1810 Post Drive, stated that there has not been enough public consultation in
regards to any submissions respecting the Greater Toronto Area even though the implications are
enormous. A committee should be struck to consult with the public on this matter and Council
should ask for an extension to the deadline for commenting on the submission dated September
15, 1995 "Leading By Example" in order to hear the public.
6
(I) RESOLUTIONS
Resolution #198/95
Moved by Councillor Brenner
Seconded by Councillor Ryan
That Town Manager's Report M 22/95 regarding submissions to the Greater Toronto Area Task
Force be received and endorsed by Council as its preliminary response to the submission of the
Mayors and Regional Chairs dated September 15, 1995 entitled "Leading By Example - Towards
a GTA Consensus"; and
That a copy of Report M 22/95 be forwarded to the Golden Task Force and the Chair be advised
that the Town of Pickering will follow up with a more definitive position following the release of
the GTA Task Force Report and comments will then be forwarded to the Minister of Municipal
Affairs and the Ontario Government; and
That the following is the Council's position with respect to its submission to the Greater Toronto
Area Task Force and shall be an addendum to Town Manager's Report M 22/95:
Economic Development Opportunities in the GTA
The Provincial Government should strengthen and formalize the existence of the
Committee of GTA mayors and Regional Chairs, the GTA Economic Partnership, The
Greater Toronto Coordinating Committee, and the Provincial Office for the Greater
Toronto Area, for the purpose of economic development within the existing Greater
Toronto Area.
2. Municipal Finance, Tax and Assessment Reform
In the short term, the Provincial Government should,
implement a fair and equitable assessment system among the municipalities within
each Region within the GTA,
to achieve fairness within and between classes
- to attain the benefits of an optimal residential to non-residential assessment
mix across each Region
to utilize variable mill rates to phase and control tax burden shifts between
property classes,
shift the assessment function from the Province to the Regions, with the power in
the Regions to privatize the function should they wish to do so,
utilize improved technologies to maintain assessment records, and
continue to investigate the range of assessment methodologies.
--3--
In the long term, the Provincial Government should consider the implementation of the
recommendations made by the Fair Tax Commission.
3. Disentanglement (Provincial/Municipal)
The process of disentanglement should continue, so that,
municipalities will finance certain hard services (i.e., those that are property-
related), including roads, waste management, sewer and water, health inspection,
and property assessment,
the Province will finance soft services (i.e., those that are not property-related),
including welfare, childcare (including children's' aid societies), public health, and
homes for the aged,
municipalities and the Province will jointly finance certain other services (i.e., those
that are primarily property-related, but over which the Province wishes to maintain
an element of control - "pay for say"), for example, transit and policing,
unconditional grants will be discontinued, no Provincial or municipal tax will be increased,
and there will be an identifiable savings at both the Provincial and municipal levels.
4. Education Reform
The Provincial Government should lessen dependency on the municipal tax base as a
means of raising funds to support the education system, preferring instead a more
equitable/progressive tax source.
5. Governance Reform
The Provincial Government should refer the matter of governance to a public consultation
process intended to deal specifically with that issue.
6. Special Purpose Bodies Under Lower Tier Jurisdiction
The Provincial Government should refer the matter of special purpose bodies to a public
consultation process intended to deal specifically with that issue before taking any steps to
amend legislation to enable local municipalities to consolidate certain special purpose
bodies (public libraries and hydro-electric commissions) as municipal departments.
7. Pickering as Part of a GTA Organization
The Provincial Government should take no steps to remove the Town of Pickering from
the Regional Municipality of Durham, nor to amalgamate it with any other municipality, in
or out of the Regional Municipality of Durham.
8. Implementation Before the End of 1997
The Provincial Government should take no steps to implement any proposal put forward
by the Greater Toronto Area Task Force until such proposal has been fully considered and
its effect upon other issues reviewed. Further, the province is urged to consider
implementation only after 1997, ie. during the period 1998-1999.
--4--
9. Improved Municipal Act
The Provincial Government should enact an improved Municipal Act with permissive
authority and with an enhanced range of revenue generating options.
6 CARRIED
Recorded Vote:
Yes: Councillors Brenner, Farr, Ryan, Senis and Mayor Arthurs
No: Councillors Pistritto
The following motions were considered in conjunction with the above resolution:
Resolution #199/95
Moved by Councillor Brenner
Seconded by Councillor Farr
That Item #4 of Town Manager's Report M 22/95 be amended by deleting the words "preferring
instead a more equitable tax source such as the (graduated) income tax" and substituting therefore
the words "preferring instead a more equitable/progressive tax source".
CARRIED
Resolution #200/95
Moved by Councillor Senis
Seconded by Councillor Brenner
That Item #2 of Town Manager's Report M 22/95 be amended by deleting the words "for each
Region within the GTA" and substituting therefore the words "among the municipalities within
each Region within the GTA".
CARRIED
Resolution #201/95
Moved by Councillor Senis
Seconded by Councillor Pistritto
That an Item #9 be added to read as follows:
9. Improved Municipal Act
The Provincial Government should enact an improved Municipal Act with permissive
authority and with an enhanced range of revenue generating options.
CARRIED
--5--
Resolution #202/95
Moved by Councillor Farr
Seconded by Councillor Brenner
That Item # 3 of Town manager's Report M 22/95 be amended by deleting the phrase "education
costs will be utilized as a means of balancing the process".
CARRIED
Resolution #203/95
Moved by Councillor Ryan
Seconded by Councillor Brenner
That the submission of the Mayors and Regional Chairs dated September 15, 1995 entitled
"Leading By Example - Towards a GTA Consensus" be received.
CARRIED
(ID ADJOURNMENT
The Meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.
00- Dated
MAYOR