Mayor Bevilacqua Meets with Minister Steve Clark
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Governance, housing and city building
Mayor
Maurizio Bevilacqua issued the following statement after meeting with Ontario’s
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, this afternoon.
“I was pleased to welcome Minister Clark to City Hall to discuss
our shared priorities for the City of Vaughan and the Province of Ontario.
“Minister Clark was interested to learn more
about the transformational initiatives currently underway in the City of Vaughan,
including several new developments in our Vaughan Metropolitan Centre; rapid
progress being made at the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, Canada’s first
state-of-the-art smart hospital; Niagara University, the first university in
Vaughan and York Region; and our recently approved 2018-2022
Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan – Vaughan’s commitment to
advancing our city building agenda.
“I noted
that the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Transit Hub is the only true mobility hub
in the GTA as it encompasses the Highway 7 bus rapidway, six-station TTC Line 1
subway extension and SmartCentres Place Bus Terminal. This multi-service transit zone is designed
to get people moving around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and is
strategically located in Vaughan’s rapidly emerging downtown - which will be
home to more than 25,000 people living in a projected 12,000 residential units. Transit City and other nearby development
projects in the VMC will provide a much-needed housing supply to this part of
the Greater Toronto Area where employment opportunities are also present.
“I
stressed the need for greater transit investments in the GTHA, including the Yonge
Street Subway extension. The facts, figures and economic benefits of this
project provide sound and intelligent reasons for public investment which will
address key challenges we collectively experience and, equally important, it
will provide opportunities for smart growth.
“As part
of the City of Vaughan’s responsible planning efforts, we have identified the
need to create and manage affordable housing options, like secondary suites. We
believe everyone should have an opportunity to live in our city and have always
been strong proponents of providing affordable housing options. As one of
Canada’s fastest growing municipalities we need to maintain our commitment to
investment-ready planning. Over the next two decades, Vaughan is projected to
be home to nearly half-a-million people and 321,500 jobs.
“As the
provincial government prepares to unveil its budget on April 11, we discussed
the need for Ontario to continue its support for municipalities like
Vaughan. We rely on provincial funding
to maintain and enhance critical infrastructure that ensures the safe, reliable
and efficient delivery of the services our citizens have come to expect.
“The
Minister understands that we echo his government’s commitment to being open for
business and providing value for people’s hard-earned tax dollars. As the
economic engine of the GTA, sound public finances, fiscal transparency and
Service Excellence have been fundamental to Vaughan’s success, which includes $30 million in savings since 2015 because of our
commitment to continuous improvement. Since 2010, the City of Vaughan
has issued more than 45,000 building permits representing nearly $11 billion.
“Our
discussion also included the regional government review that is currently
underway by the Province of Ontario. I shared that, at the City of Vaughan, we
have undertaken work to deal with any potential outcomes that may come as a
result of decisions from the review. Of note, earlier today, Council received a
report at our Finance, Administration and Audit Committee meeting to inform
that a staff working group has been formed to monitor and provide strategic
insight and information to examine financial and non-financial implications of
potential outcomes of the review.
“I trust
the provincial government will take this opportunity to examine best governance
practices and will make public its business case which would support the
governance reform proposal. Any potential changes to the City’s existing
governance structure must ensure that citizens continue to receive exceptional
levels of service delivery and value for tax dollars. We understand that there
is no cookie-cutter approach to municipal governance and different regions require
a different response. As with any reform, its success will be measured by the
end results. Ultimately the consultation process must be open, transparent and
accountable.
“I
expressed my gratitude to the Minister for his keen interest in Vaughan’s
priorities and city building initiatives.
We value and appreciate our relationship with the provincial government.
By working together, not only can we continue to meet citizens’ expectations –
we can exceed them.”
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