On behalf of the Corporation…

On behalf of the Corporation of the Township of Centre Wellington, we offer the following and attached comments on the proposed Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, noting that we concur with the MFOA comments and would like to stress the importance of water and wastewater DCs (or equivalent funding) in funding growth.
1. We believe that the decision to adopt a corporate model for water and wastewater service delivery should remain at the discretion of local municipalities. We recommend that the proposed Act be removed from Bill 60 and reintroduced following comprehensive consultation with stakeholders.
2. Water and wastewater services are essential public goods. We strongly advocate for continued public ownership and direct accountability to the public, with the primary objective of serving the public interest.
3. The Water and Wastewater Public Corporations (WWPC) model currently does not permit development charge collections, unlike the Municipal Services Corporation model. We recommend that the Act be amended to clarify that WWPCs are considered local boards for the purposes of the Development Charges Act, 1997.
4. To ensure transparency and a shared understanding of the Province’s goals, we encourage the publication of a document detailing the intended outcomes for water and wastewater service provision.
5. We urge the Province to ensure that municipalities are protected from financial risk and liability associated with communal systems. We also have concerns regarding the operational costs, efficiency, and potential impacts on ratepayers and municipal resources resulting from expanded use of communal systems.