Liability, long-term care, housing discussed at ROMA conference – County Weekly News

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Ontarios attorney general is establishing a working group to study a controversial liability issue which municipal leaders say is both unfair and costly.

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The government has heard from municipalities that they are facing significant insurance costs, coverage and liability issues, and about the impact this can have on property taxes and public services, Natasha Krstajic, press secretary and parliamentary advisor for Attorney General Doug Downey, told The Intelligencer via e-mail.

Municipal and provincial politicians took part on Monday in a series of meetings as part of the annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference, which was held online.

Building on one of the recommendations by the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO), the government has established a technical working group of provincial and municipal officials to examine municipal proposals for addressing this important issue, Krstajic wrote.

Deputy Warden Bonnie Adams led Mondays county delegation to meet with Downey to ask for changes to legislation governing joint and several liability.

Both the Eastern and Western Wardens Caucuses have also taken up the cause in an attempt to guard against what municipalities say are unfair judgements against them in civil lawsuits, such as those following traffic accidents.

It is common for a municipality to be named in an action even though there is no apparent liability on the part of the municipality, Adams, the reeve of Carlow/Mayo Township, told The Intelligencer via e-mail.

Even if lawsuits are ultimately dismissed, the cost of defending against them puts an enormous burden on our budgets and ultimately the taxpayers.

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She said such liability is a key driver of unsustainable increases of 20 to 30 per cent in municipal insurance costs and at a time when pandemic financial relief programs are being scaled back by the government.

Adams said Downey recognized such payouts divert municipal funding from capital projects and services.

I believe the meeting was productive and look forward to seeing the technical table report on this issue, Adams wrote.

The ministrys Krstajic added the working group will be coordinated by Downeys ministry and involve staff of other ministries including finance and municipal affairs and housing as needed.

We have also invited a representative of the insurance industry to participate.

The first working group meeting is expected to occur in March, Krstajic wrote.

The government is keen to get this important work underway and is pleased to be working with AMO.

Regional advocacy

County Warden Rick Philips was part of a separate delegation from the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus which met with Deputy Premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark, Long-term Care Minister Paul Calandra, and Children, Community and Social Services Minister Merrilee Fullerton, plus parliamentary assistants.

The caucus delegation was focused on housing, long-term care and Ontario Health Teams.

Were facing mounting pressure on affordable housing, Phillips said, calling it a major concern.

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Thousands of households spend more than 30 per cent of their after-tax income on housing.

We need rental housing; we need affordable housing; we need all types.

He said the average wait for community housing is 10 years.

The pandemic has cast a harsh spotlight upon long-term care issues, and Phillips spoke of both capacity and funding concerns. He said eastern Ontario municipalities spent $194 million in the sector in 2019, operating 15 municipal homes with 2,386 beds and 2,000 workers.

The wait times are 45 per cent higher in eastern Ontario than the provincial average, Phillips said after he and Northumberland County Warden Bob Crate addressed the ministers.

According to our research, residents spend 231 days on the wait list versus 166 days province-wide.

Caucus chair and Renfrew County Warden Debbie Robinson told the ministers of Ontario Health Teams uneven approach to municipal membership. The new teams are intended to help make local decisions about care.

The chief administrative officers of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, Jim Pine and Marcia Wallace respectively, are members of the Hastings-Prince Edward team.

Sheila Braidek, a co-leader of that team, said the group has not invited Belleville or Quinte West to join because neither delivers health services. The counties, however, have long-term care homes and other housing.

But not all teams allow municipal involvement because of the political aspect, which is ludicrous, Phillips said.

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He said one health team it was not clear which one had asked a municipality to pay a membership fee.

Were all key partners in health care, he said, adding eastern municipalities invest $120 million annually in health and related services.

Minister Elliott indicated that she would be looking into that and it would be rectified, said Phillips.

The warden said the meeting was more positive than usual.

Ive got a better feeling with this government than with any Ive dealt with before, he said. The delegation made similar presentations to opposition parties that afternoon.

He said municipalities still have many concerns but know they must work with our provincial government in order to advance things and appreciate the support through the pandemic.

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Liability, long-term care, housing discussed at ROMA conference - County Weekly News