Statement from Marcus Ryan, Warden, Oxford County

Affordable housing for all should be a focus of government policy. Efficient municipal decision-making and reducing barriers to planning and development are worthy goals to pursue.

But removing local control from municipal governments and putting our communities and environment at risk are not the right means to achieve these ends. The More Homes Built Faster Act and Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act threaten the existence of local democratic government.

Yesterday, the Mayors of the Municipalities of Oxford County sent a letter to the Premier of Ontario expressing our opposition, in the strongest terms possible, to Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022. It is not “better.”

Allowing a one-third minority to make critical, future-impacting decisions for the whole of a community silences people—voters-- who believed they were taking part in a democratic process to determine their local representatives.

Bill 39 undermines municipal governments. Municipalities, which know their communities best, were not sufficiently consulted. This Act is not supported by experts, stakeholders or citizens. And, while this legislation is applied to only some today, it can only be a matter of time before it is applied to all.

Similarly, “building more homes faster” is not unequivocally better for our communities. To offer something better, this legislation needs to ensure the homes being built will actually be affordable for the people who need them—it does not.

Rather, it moves the financial burden of new development from developers, who benefit financially from that development, to taxpayers, including those individuals and families reaching for home ownership. For municipalities, it presents significant staffing, policy and administrative challenges, and financial implications that are compounded by a staggering 32% reduction in development charges revenue in Oxford County: $5.6 million over a 10-year period for the County and $10.54 million across all Oxford municipalities.

Housing policy should protect the long-term sustainability of our communities by creating livable spaces and protecting our natural heritage and ecosystems. Instead, this Act will:

• increase property taxes;
• threaten farmland and the environment;
• broaden the divide between the “haves” and “have-nots” in our communities, putting more pressures on social and health-related services; and,
• undermine local government independence by moving control of our future to unelected individuals in Toronto who do not know our communities.

We acknowledge that there are areas these legislations get right, and that their aims have merit, but in their present form, too much is wrong.

Oxford County will continue to support municipal organizations, such as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, in lobbying the province to work with municipalities to develop solutions that address the housing crisis, with a primary focus on helping people who need homes. We will also continue to petition against the parts of Bill 39 that undermine local government and, by extension, the democratic process. And, we will ensure residents understand the impacts of these legislative changes on the future of their communities.

We respectfully ask Premier Doug Ford to commit to finding solutions through collaboration, cooperation and innovation of all parties.

Read: Letter to the Premier from the Mayors of the Municipalities of Oxford (Dec 14, 2022)

Read: County Council Resolution Re: Better Municipal Governance Act (Nov 23, 2022) 

Issued by:

Warden Marcus Ryan 
Oxford County

About Oxford County

Located in the heart of southwestern Ontario at the crossroads of Highways 401 and 403, Oxford County has a population of approximately 125,000 people across eight area municipalities that are “growing stronger together.” As a partnership-oriented, two-tier municipal government, Oxford County is emerging as a leader in sustainable growth through the Future Oxford Community Sustainability Plan and County Council’s commitment to achieving 100% renewable energy, becoming a zero waste community, and working towards zero poverty. Situated in one of Ontario’s richest areas for farmland, agriculture is a key industry that serves as a springboard for some of the sustainable industries that are steadily diversifying the local economy. Oxford County offers a thriving local arts, culture and culinary community, as well as conservation parks, natural areas and more than 100 kilometres of scenic trails. The Oxford County Administration Building is located in Woodstock, Ontario. Visit www.oxfordcounty.ca or follow our social media sites at www.oxfordcounty.ca/social. Oxford County’s Strategic Plan is at oxfordcounty.ca/strategicplan.