I am most strongly opposed…

I am most strongly opposed to the new changes being proposed to community benefits under the Planning Act, Development Changes Act and Building Code Act. This will mean a decrease in revenues to the community from those levies currently in place. As we start to emerge from the post pandemic economic crisis it would not seem the logical time to be reducing revenues to the community and municipalities who are under excessive strain. This is particularly distressing considering that fiscal relief is going to those who have been able to remain, for the greater part, employed and are drawing profits from the community through development projects. I was pleased to see that provision is being considered to amend the deplorable financial constraints on our long term care facilities. I recall budget cuts were in place by the provincial government to the health care system prior to the pandemic. Should it take a pandemic to make our politicians aware of the overstressed and now deadly situation of our health care systems, particularly with regard to the elderly and those in long term care. Equally as mystifying was the earlier provincial decision to reinstate the OMB despite the studies, by municipal planners and legal system advising against this measure, particularly when provincial housing quotas had been met and exceeded in North York. It would seem that this new Act to change community benefits will be profiting the developer rather than the community which is already under the strain of an inadequate infrastructure and finances to ameliorate over development. Please reconsider the necessity and adviseablity of this new Act with greater diligence than it did for the health care system pre-pandemic. My next vote will be relying on it.