As currently designed Bill…

As currently designed Bill 108 will prohibit municipalities from charging for Soft Services, including Library funding now provided from these Development Charges. As we understand it, any development charges for soft services would be pooled into a fund, with competition from various associations for those limited funds (a cap is also proposed, but not named).

This places the Ajax Public Library (and other libraries across the province) in a competition for funding which has previously been predictable and has allowed us to grow our collections, programs and services commensurate with the increase in density that this development causes. This essential service to Ontario Taxpayers is being lumped in with other soft services, most of which are not “as essential”.

This change in funding strategy places the Board of Trustees in a difficult position to fulfill our mandate of supporting the needs of our constituents in a responsible and efficient way.
We ask that the Government of Ontario consider the funding to Libraries as an essential service and that the current provisions of Bill 108 as proposed be amended to ensure funding for Library needs caused by the increased density remain as part of the hard structural portion of Development charges, and is not considered a “soft cost”.

Respectfully submitted
Noel Green, Chair, Board of Trustees, Ajax Public Library