Vaughan Projects to benefit from federal Gas Tax Fund
City gets $8.7 million in 2016, $17.5 million over two years
As the City of
Vaughan continues to grow, so does the demand on existing community
infrastructure, including roads, sidewalks and buildings. The federal Gas Tax
Fund helps address the rising cost of maintaining, revitalizing and building
new infrastructure by providing predictable and long-term funding that supports
fundamental city-building mechanisms including job creation and economic
stimulus.
In 2016, the City
will receive $8.765 million from the federal Gas Tax Fund that will be directed
to more than three dozen projects. These include sidewalk repairs, bridge
rehabilitation and improvements to hiking trails. Funds will also support
stormwater management facilities and construction of the new Civic Centre
Resource Library. A portion of the federal gas tax funding will be invested in
the Pavement Management Program which focuses on maintaining appropriate
service levels on the City’s existing road network. In addition, funding will
be used to build new multi-use paths that promote alternate modes of travel
such as walking and cycling.
The Association of
Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) delivers the federal Gas Tax Fund to all
Ontario municipalities, except Toronto, twice a year, on a per capita basis. In
2016, AMO will transfer $617 million to municipalities to invest in hundreds of
projects.
QUOTES
“Vaughan is committed to being a key economic development driver in
the GTA by creating jobs, encouraging investment and pursuing opportunities
that will improve our quality of life. The federal Gas Tax Fund began as a
short-term municipal infrastructure program to help local communities keep up
with the demands of rapid growth. Today it is a welcome source of funding that
assists in the maintenance and revitalization of existing infrastructure, while
also supporting new assets in emerging neighbourhoods. It has helped the City
move forward with important projects that contribute to our future as a
world-class city.”
-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
“In Budget 2016, the Government of Canada committed to working with
provinces, territories and municipalities to ensure they receive the support
they need to build strong and vibrant communities. The federal Gas Tax Fund
gives communities the flexibility to spend money on infrastructure projects
where they need it most. Here in Vaughan, the city is directing its allocation
to projects that will undoubtedly improve the quality of life for residents for
many years to come.”
-Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
“The flexibility and long-term nature of the federal Gas Tax Fund helps
municipal governments set and achieve local infrastructure priorities. The City
of Vaughan has done just that by using the Fund to maintain existing infrastructure
and leverage it to build new assets, including a fire station that has a LEED
gold certification.”
-Gary McNamara, AMO president
QUICK FACTS
- Between 2014 and 2018, the City of Vaughan will receive approximately $43 million from the federal Gas Tax Fund.
- Money from the federal Gas Tax Fund was used to build the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service Station 7-10, which opened in 2012 and received LEED gold certification.
- Since the federal Gas Tax Fund’s launch in 2005, municipalities across Ontario have invested more than $3.7 billion of federal Gas Tax money into more than 6,000 infrastructure projects worth more than $10.7 billion.
- To date, $13 billion has been invested in municipalities across Canada through the federal Gas Tax Fund, with close to $22 billion to come throughout the next 10 years.
- Eligible categories under the federal Gas Tax Fund include public transit, wastewater infrastructure, drinking water, solid waste management, community energy systems, local roads and bridges, capacity building, highways, local and regional airports, short-line rail, short-sea shipping, disaster mitigation, broadband and connectivity, brownfield redevelopment, culture, tourism, sport, and recreation.
LEARN MORE
- Association of Municipalities Ontario webpage
- Infrastructure Canada – the federal Gas Tax Fund