The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

! - ) THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, APRIL 18,2001 PAGE A3 Mayors mix up prescription for hospital funding Clarington Mayor John Mutton and Ajax Mayor Steve Parish call for provincial money I!YSUSAN O'NEILL AND JACQUIE A IcINNES Staff Writers DURHAM - Clarington Mayor John Mutton is teaming up with another Durham mayor in an attempt to get improved improved healthcare facilities for Durham without taking a bite out of property taxpayers' taxpayers' wallets. Ajax Mayor Steve Parish told regional regional council colleagues Wednesday he plans to introduce a motion later this month -- to be seconded by Mayor Mutton -- seeking council's support in asking the Province to fund at least 70 per cent of the capital costs of hospital expansions. "I find the level of their contribution... contribution... totally inadequate," Mayor Parish said in an interview. "Hospitals and health care is a provincial responsibility" responsibility" m Hospital open house DURHAM - Lakeridge Health Corporation and Rouge Valley Health System are holding a series of open houses about expansion plans this spring. The open houses tie into the hospitals' "A Dime A Day ... We All Benefit' campaign. The hospitals are trying to persuade regional councillors councillors to help fund the expansion. On April 19, expansion plans can be seen at Lakeridge Health Bowmanville, 47 Liberty St. S., main entrance, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Free parking and refreshments will be available. Anyone with questions questions should calh-866-223-2438. MAYOR JOHN MUTTON 'The hospitals don 7 care where they get the money...they just want the money.' Mayor Mutton agrees, noting when the NDP government was in power it changed the funding formula for capital healthcare projects. At one time the Province provided 70 per cent of funding funding with only 30 per cent coming from the local community. The formula was changed to a 50/50 split. Mayor Mutton says he and some of his colleagues, including including Mayor Parish and Scugog Mayor Doug Moffat, would like to see that changed back. The mayors also want the Province to amend the Development Charges Act to allow the Region to collect healthcare development charges. The Region once had that ability but a change to the Act by the Harris government took that source of revenue away from municipalities. municipalities. They can no longer charge land developers developers for healthcare capital projects. "The hospitals don't care where they get the money from, they just want the money," says Mayor Mutton. "All we're asking the Province to do is replace the formula that was there before; replace the 50/50 with the 70/30 taken out by the NDP and give us back the development charges," The Rouge Valley Health System, which includes the Ajax and Pickering Health Centre, and Lakeridge Health Corporation Corporation made a joint request to council last fall asking for $100 million in funding from the Region to help support $409 million in capital expansion expansion projects across Durham. Hie Province has committed to providing about $216 million in funding and local hospital foundations are committed to raising $93 million. million. But, Mayor Parish said although communities have traditionally played a role in funding hospitals, "to have them raise half the money is inappropriate." If the fomiula is changed, says Mayor Mutton, the local community would be on the hook for about $120 million instead of $200 million. Between Between the hospital foundation's foundation's fund-raising efforts and a long-term commitment of hospital development charges, he says, the regional funding could be found without without a hit to the property taxpayer. taxpayer. The Province revised the DC Act in 1998 and eliminated eliminated the collection of DCs as a source for funding future hospital infrastmeture. Other regional municipalities such as York and Peel have used DCs to fund hospital expansions expansions in the past but Durham has not. Mayor Parish reported he plans to bring forward the motion April 25. That's the same day council will address a proposal from Durham Chairman Roger Anderson, who has suggested a special levy for hospital construction projects. Mr. Anderson's proposal proposal would sec taxpayers hit with a one-per cent increase ($11 to $15) in each of the next three years. At that point taxpayers would continue to pay the third-year level ($33 to $45) for another nine years. The plan would raise about $70 million over 12 years. Meanwhile, Mayor Parish also wants the Region to agree its contribution to hospitals, hospitals, through general levy funding, will Ire no more than the amount raised by development development charges. It's coming... CBEX 2001 Clarington Business Exhibition sponsored by: J=bS3 ROYAL BANK v V mg FINANCIAL GROUP' Tuesday, April 24 th • Noon-8 p.m. • admission is FREE • special Advisory Centre • draw prizes valued at $500+ www.claringtonboardoftrade.com/cbex 905-623-3106 Brought to you by the Clarington Business Group and the Clarington Board of Trade INTOWNE GALLERY & GIFT SHOPPE Meet Artist Walter Campbell Sat. May 5th 12-3 p.m ï'XTwnaama&Y Have your print personalized in gold leaf by Walter duringMaplefest. Sat. May 5th 72-3 rf.m. k Maplefest 59285^5$qn Just in time for the Boivmanville Maplefest. \. New release by Walter Campbell "Sugar Time" Special. fr.im«I S 2 99 ass Morning Solitude __ Neio Release Laura Barry Historic Downtown Bowmanville 7 King St. E. 623-6411 New at Intowne Gallery LSI* j , .-v, *»'- t OVER 40 QUALITY USED CARS ANDTRUCKS OVER 200 NEW VEHICLES IN STOCK WOT Iff )W M , 1 : ; *• \ mam , . ■ -, • a~ Of tire's ÿfi'ATi'T. '1' -, - - ! ■ CEOvire •SERVICE •PARTS fHRYSTFR^ e NEW modern 12 bay service ALSO EXPANDED PARTS DEPT. DEPT. 'Eà LOOKÂT T HE BEST! J99 | BLOORSTÏJWl i OSHMI^^^gW*04^0525 e BloorSt South Service Rd T5b Durham l M nnHqe sler Chrys Oshawa GO Station iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmui i",. " *iV5 *: Tàn; - r - fsvJ vîvïfÿv L.ik.u'l , ; til! 1 ! i!| i f 8! H", h .r.ia t?~ I P i' & 4 1 • ««:■ «PU-- <;> , as A Dime a Day... We All Benefit From Durham Hospital Expansion r* SmeÊSsss§ Xmkmm Ê®§n§m'§ Sr» Urgently needed hospital expansion will mean we can continue to provide you with the quality care you need, when you need it, close to home. But it doesn't stop there - 4 it means a payback in terms of jobs and a stronger economy too! Already the Durham hospitals make a significant contribution to the Region's Economy: . .. .... I : . x m - '<#?/:• tv\#' * 11 \v « - \ • ' /Ik Benefiting from Excel! • 4th largest employer • Employees spend $181 million a year locally • Hospitals spend approximately $77 million every year on supplies and sen/ices. Hospital expansion will mean: • Over 700 new hospital jobs in Durham • 4,800 new hospital and community related construction jobs alone • Millions more spent on goods and services leading to increased growth and jobs • Increased attraction of Durham as a desirable location for research, development, health sen/ices and education investment and employment • A more attractive place to locate or expand a business, contributing to more jobs and a healthier economy. Bmiïimm Mmmimi EKpmsSm • kmmmx [ifs 'Him right §mm§ So Al fü Pisîsenîs nsi ltoiiilu Valley For more information, call toll-free: Gi>) fE "V) ■ >)-fi 4'1 llrallli System www.excellentcare.com Lakeridge Health i'iilii'itli lirai www.lakeridgehealth.on.ca