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In January 2007 the Province decreed that Halton would no longer have to collect $41 million per year to support Toronto social programs. Region Council decided to keep collecting the GTA Pooling taxes anyway - kinda like a retailer who still collects 7% GST and pockets the difference. Only one Region Councillor spoke against this rip-off of Halton taxpayers.

Now there is a need for major local capital in Halton to fund hospital expansions, capital that could readily be provided from the GTA Pooling stream of surplus taxes, and politicians are talking tax increases.

The issue of funding local capital for hospital expansions has not appeared on Milton or Region Committee agendas for open discussion. Oakville and Burlington must resolve this issue in the next month but discussion there has concentrated on using tax increases. It is as though there has been a back-room agreement to keep GTA Pooling funds off the table and away from taxpayer review.

Halton politicians may think we are too dumb to make the connection between surplus GTA Pooling taxes and hospital funding, and/or too complacent to object if they ignore it. With an election coming in October, this would be a good time to prove them wrong.

On April 11 2007, the Region Planning and Public Works Committee passed a motion for the Region to keep the almost $7 million of GTA Pooling funds that didn't need to be sent to Toronto in 2007. One delegation and one non-voting Region Councillor opposed.

One week later at Region Council, the Region got a shock when the Committee motion was successfully amended so that the $7 million went to the 4 municipalities rather than the Region for 2007.

On July 11, 2007 Region Council agreed to build the 2008 budget on the assumption they would continue to collect the $41 million for GTA Pooling even though only about $28 million had to be sent to Toronto in 2008. The remaining $13 million would be split between the Region and the municipalities.


I expect that by 2012/2013 the Region and municipalities will share the full $41 million in surplus taxes from GTA Pooling. The revenue entries should be apparent in all municipal budgets. The extra spending would be harder to trace and evaluate.

It is time for our municipal politicians to get straight with Halton taxpayers and say "Surplus from GTA Pooling taxes is not our money. Never was our money - we were just required to collect it. How can we consider raising taxes for hospital expansion when we already have a surplus $41 million per year from taxpayers?"

In the 2009 milton capital budget summary it mentioned the town was getting $1.11m of the GTA Pooling money from the region while in 2010 it's $1.5m. I have to check, but in prior years I think it was earmarked around $730k but not sure.



In 2010 a lot of that money (along with Milton Hydro dividends) went into the reserves.

http://www.milton.ca/corpserv/budget10/ ... ummary.pdf
(pages 18 & 25)

The revenues received from GTA Pooling represents about 2% of the total capital budget money coming in (page 17)

Yes, we need to keep our eye on this money. Yes, overall (region wide) it's a good chunk of cash. But it's not the 41 million number, lot of that money goes to Oakville, Burlington, etc. Milton's share of that is tiny in comparison to the 41 mil total. Some of the money hasn't been spent yet but being saved for future capital projects (i.e. that's why it's called reserves).

Thanks Rick for your interest and efforts.

$1.1 million of GTA Pooling for Milton in 2009 looks low from a total that would have been about $20 million in 2009. It is possible that Region Council changed the formula in dividing the spoils since their agreement for 2008.

The best way to start this forensic review would be from the top down. It should be very easy for the Region to document how much extra tax was collected in each of the 4 years and how it was divided with the municipalities - if a Region Councillor were to request the data.

Whatever the number received by Milton, I would like to see a motion from Milton Council to "retain all receipts of GTA Pooling funds from the Region in a Milton Hospital reserve account dedicated to funding Milton Hospital expansion". This action would:
- eliminate/reduce the need for a special tax levy for Milton hospital expansion.
- demonstate that Milton is planning for the expansion and help efforts to advance the timing.
- correct part of the GTA Pooling rip-off by ensuring that the funds are used for a popular purpose. If they go to general capital reserves they may be used for glass walls, Campbellville tennis courts, or other less popular projects.

The same arguments would apply to the Region's share of excess GTA Pooling taxes since the Region is also expected to pay a share of local hospital capital.

P.S. Burlington has just approved a hospital tax levy. No mention of their GTA Pooling funds in the story. The closed ranks appear to be holding.
http://www.insidehalton.com/community/b ... cle/655772

Remember it's being gradually phased out which will take until 2013. So each year it will increase a bit.

But if you have time, I think all of this is public information. When I last looked, it was planning to be 50% retained by the region and the other 50% reallocated to the municipalities.

http://cms.burlington.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7477

The above is an *old* doc (From Burlington's perspective) from 2007 but you can see the chart on page 3 of the gradual phase out of the pooling, and the money going back to the region and municipalities. I need something similar to the above doc but more in a "Milton" perspective so it will highlight our own situation in comparison. But from the phase-out percentages, you can extrapolate based on past years how Milton's share will grow.

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Oakville has until April 24 to resolve required local funding for their proposed new hospital.
http://www.oakville.ca/newhospital.htm

Some in Oakville don't think a new hospital is needed. Others don't agree with the proposal to fund required local capital with a tax levy. Both of these questions could have an impact on the shape, timing, and funding of a Milton Hospital expansion.

These and other concerns have resulted in the formation of a group called Concerned Citizens of Oakville and Halton for Community Healthcare. They are holding a public forum on the subject of Oakville Hospital
Thursday April 8 at 7 PM
Galaxy Hall
475 North Service Road East
Oakville
Contact: 905-844-3574 or oakvillehospital@gmail.com

They are aware of GTA Pooling as a possible source of funding.

Milton is but a bit player in the hospital drama. It's a provincial service, provincially regulated and funded. In other words, you can have all the money set aside you want, but the final word on who gets a hospital is left up to the province. All Milton can do is lobby hard. And it will be hard- the recent provincial budget calls for a cut in healthcare funding into 2012, and then a freeze.

As for Oakville my guess is they're going to get a big new hospital at Dundas and Third Line. And if I'm not mistaken that's going to serve all of Halton region. And I'm told after they've completed that, the region is moving onto Milton, and Georgetown.