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For everyone interested in the funding for the Milton Hospital expansion staff have released their report and recommendations which will be presented and discussed on Monday night at 7.30 pm. in the Town Hall council chambers.

http://www.milton.ca/execserv/agendas20 ... rvices.pdf

Please let me and other councillors know your concerns and ideas on the report.

Colin Best
Local & regional councillor
Milton/Halton
Candidate for Local & regional councillor
Wards 2,3,4,5. North of Derry road.

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The following has been sent to Milton Council, copy Linda Leeds.

Staff Report CORS-058-10 Halton Healthcare Notice of Motion documents a lot of good work that has been done by those involved since the issue was raised on May 17. It clears up a lot of the confusion around roles, timing, and conditions for funding. Specifically:
- It defines the relationship between the Town, Halton Healthcare Services, and the Province.
- It confirms the nature of the 30% local capital requirement.
- It notes that the local capital requirement can, in effect, be financed over a term up to 30 years.
- It confirms the high priority of hospital expansion within Milton.
- It states that priority and support of HHS to the Province.
- It suggests establishment of a Reserve Fund in the 2011 budget process.
- It discusses some of the funding options.

Unfortunately, it has been 4 years since the Province announced the rules for local capital and we are now playing catch-up in terms of Milton’s commitment and in building a reserve account to pay our share. The following are some suggestions to add to Report CORS 058-10 to highlight Milton’s commitment and hopefully avoid the easy route of financing the hospital expansion with tax increases:
- Don’t wait for the 2011 budget to set up a Hospital Expansion Reserve Fund. Direct staff to do it now using a portion of the $1.9 million surplus from 2009 and any other bits and pieces that may come along in 2010.
- The report says “Any direct financial contributions are premature at this time”. Wrong! If you anticipate sending your kids to university you don’t start saving when they graduate high school and you know the exact costs. Start saving for hospital expansion now in 2010.
- How much per year should go to the reserve account? We know that HHS will pay half the local capital requirement in Burlington and Oakville, leaving 15% to the municipalities. I have seen one estimate of Milton Hospital expansion at just over $200 million. Burlington is $400 million. If you assume Milton at $300 million x 15% = $45 million amortized over 20 years, saving $2 million per year might be a reasonable initial target. Set that target now for 2011.
- There was just a meeting on 2011 budget priorities. Give staff direction that the $2 million per year for the Reserve Fund is a high priority and let it compete with other spending priorities as the 2011 budget develops.

The report notes that “The funds from the GTA Pooling are specifically directed at the repair and maintenance of the existing Town’s assets”. Says who? Council can easily change that if it is an issue. The GTA Pooling loot remains the easiest source of about $2 million per year of funding to the Hospital Reserve. We are only getting and spending $1.5 million of GTA Pooling funds this year increasing to $2.5 million forever. That’s an incremental $1 million that nobody has had a chance to spend yet. Hospital expansion would also be a most suitable use for this $182 per Halton household that was ripped off by the Region. Fairness for Halton???

And if Milton hospital expansion doesn’t make the Province’s priority list in 2011? Stop all building permits and use the money in the hospital reserve for OMB lawyers.