NEWS RELEASE
REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF YORK
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York Regional Council has endorsed the principle that new infrastructure investment be tied to the achievement of population thresholds, as outlined in the recent infrastructure and alignment report.
“Over the last decade York Regional Council made significant investment in transit, water and wastewater infrastructure, taking on growth-related debt to serve our growing population,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson. “However, population growth has slowed in recent years. Optimizing existing investments in infrastructure before triggering new investment is key to meeting provincial growth targets in a fiscally responsible manner.”
In 2014, Council adopted a fiscal strategy which provides tools to manage debt and better align capital spending with growth. This strategy has allowed the Region to maintain a state of sustainable financial ‘equilibrium’ by limiting capital expenditures and reducing debt.
While the Region remains committed to delivering the infrastructure required to support growth to 2041, our existing infrastructure investments in approved urban communities can accommodate a significant amount of population growth without taking on additional debt.
“Directing growth to areas that have servicing capacity has a direct impact on the fiscal health of the Region,” said City of Markham Regional Councillor Jim Jones, Chair of Planning and Economic Development. “By staging growth with existing and planned infrastructure, we can better plan for current and future residents.”
As part of the provincial growth plan, York Region is undergoing a Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) to help us plan well-designed communities that attract residents, jobs and investments and support the population to 2041 and beyond.
Residents and businesses wishing to learn more about this review or share their vision for the future of York Region can visit york.ca/mcrgetinvolved
The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to 1.2 million residents and 52,000 businesses with over 636,600 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/regionalservices
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