Ford to Crombie, mayors criticizing housing law: 'Get on board' and 'stop whining'
The mayor of Mississauga and other municipal leaders who have voiced opposition to a new provincial housing law need to "get on board" and "stop whining," Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday in an unprompted burst of criticism.
Ford took issue with mayors who've raised concerns with the law that will reduce or eliminate some municipal revenues from developers, but singled out Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie after he made an unrelated announcement in neighbouring Brampton, Ont.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"We have a few mayors that, you know, don't want to play in the sandbox and one being mayor Crombie, and I don't know what her issue is," Ford said.
The premier said he is asking for a partnership with Crombie and all the other mayors.
"If we sit back and think some magical thing is going to happen, or you think when people come here we're going to start living in mud huts -- it's not going to happen under our government," he said.
"We want to work collaboratively, co-operatively with you, but we need to get on board and start moving forward and stop the whining and complaining that I hear day in and day out."
Crombie responded with a lengthy statement refuting many of Ford's points.
"I'm not whining, I'm simply doing my job as mayor to stand up for our residents and taxpayers," she wrote.
"We are trying to build a great city and accommodate growth, but as it stands, this legislation will force us to either put the brakes on these plans due to lack of funding or significantly raise taxes by up to 10 per cent a year for the next decade. I think we can all agree that none of us want that."
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario has said the new law could leave municipalities short $5 billion and see taxpayers footing the bill -- either in the form of higher property taxes or service cuts -- to pay for infrastructure that supports new housing. It has also said there is nothing in the bill that would guarantee improved housing affordability.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark has said in response that he will launch a third-party audit of the finances of select municipalities to determine if the law will indeed cause a shortfall and if so, the province will make those communities "whole."
Ford said Mississauga has increased its fees on new homebuyers by nearly 30 per cent in the last two years and that makes it difficult for people to buy a home. He also accused Mississauga of not fully spending the development charge revenues it gets now, saying the city is sitting on millions of dollars in development charge reserves.
"I see that Mayor Crombie's out there handing out flyers and doing this -- all I say is get on board, stop being disingenuous, you know, with the people of Mississauga," Ford said. "It's just absolutely wrong."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie are seen in these images dated Aug. 15, 2022 and June 7, 2019, respectively. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld,Chris Young)
Crombie said development charges do go into reserves, but municipalities are not simply sitting on the money, rather they are treated like savings going toward future long-term projects, akin to a homeowner saving up for a new roof.
"We do not collect money we do not need, and we do not have unlimited chequing accounts," Crombie wrote.
"In fact, the funds we collect are often not enough to support new growth -- we are often short and have to use tax dollars to cover the gaps."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.