<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><br></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Regions want province to cover OMB costs</span><div class="PageReview clearfix">
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Newmarket Era
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by <a href="mailto:spearce@yrmg.com">Sean Pearce</a><br></small><small class="aTitle"><br>
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Should the province pick up the tab municipalities are
incurring defending their official plans before the Ontario Municipal
Board?<br>
Halton regional chairperson Gary Carr thinks so and York Region officials agree.<br>
Halton’s official plan passed unanimously at its council, but the region
now faces 41 OMB appeals stemming from a pair of amendments imposed by
the province to bring the document into conformity with the Ontario
Places to Grow plan. <br>
Under the circumstances, Mr. Carr does not think it is fair Halton
taxpayers should be out of pocket to defend a plan that adheres to
provincial legislation.<br>
“We don’t feel we should have to pay all of the costs when we’ve met all
of the requirements,” he said. “We’re expecting some sort of a reply
from them.”<br>
Halton passed a resolution re-affirming its three-year-old request to
the province that it take responsibility for all OMB appeals launched in
connection with a municipality’s conformity with the Place to Grow Act
and cover any accrued costs. <br>
The resolution from Halton was sent to the Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ministry, several MPPs and a upper and lower-tier municipalities,
including York Region.<br>
York Region chairperson Bill Fisch understands where his Halton counterpart’s point of view. <br>
York made a similar proposal in 2010, he said, adding it wasn’t successful.<br>
“We didn’t get any money from the province, but we have had a high
degree of co-operation from them on some of the appeals we’ve faced,” he
said. “But, no, they didn’t give us a cheque.”<br>
An official plan is a document drafted and passed by a municipality or
region and, while it must comply with all pertinent legislation and
receive provincial approval, it’s ultimately the municipal or regional
government responsible to defend it, Mr. Fisch said. <br>
York’s official plan has also been appealed to the OMB.<br>
Municipalities hold dominion over land-use planning, including how best
to apply provincial policies locally and, as a result, must be prepared
to defend their decisions if an appeal comes forward, Municipal Affairs
and Housing Ministry spokesperson May Nazar said. <br>
Municipalities are responsible governments that have the authority to
make most local land-use planning decisions, she stated via e-mail. <br>
Those decisions are based on their official plans, which reflect priorities and the broader provincial interests, she added. </div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">To view story online visit here: <br><small class="aTitle">http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/1936424-regions-want-province-to-cover-omb-costs/<br><br>
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