Mayor Meed Ward Requests MZO At AMO
Burlington, Ont.—Aug. 22, 2024 – Alongside over 400 Ontario municipalities, the City of Burlington participated in the 2024 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference and Annual General Meeting to share local policy priorities with senior provincial government officials and to discuss shared goals and common challenges facing municipalities today.
Celebrating 125 years of AMO, this year’s conference took place in Ottawa where 3,300 attendees participated in formal delegations with provincial leaders, dozens of educational plenary sessions, and other opportunities to explore policy development, and hear from elected leaders of all parties.
Led by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, the City of Burlington participated in delegations with Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, where she advocated for ensuring accurate and timely housing data to inform policy and funding decisions, as well as requesting the Province issue a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) for the Millcroft Golf Course. Additionally, Mayor Meed Ward met with Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure, where she advocated for the City’s inclusion in the Transit-Oriented Communities Program and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure upgrades and retrofits.
Mayor Meed Ward was also joined by Councillor Rory Nisan, Councillor Paul Sharman, Councillor Angelo Bentivegna, Chief Administrative Officer Hassaan Basit and other City staff to support advocacy, identify new fundings opportunities for the City of Burlington and highlight needed investments.
Mayor Meed Ward, in her capacity as Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), also met with Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo, and Sean Fraser, the federal Minister of Housing. Mayor Meed Ward advocated for reevaluating the municipal-provincial fiscal relationship and requested that the province take additional action to address the growing health and homelessness crisis in line with OBCM’s “Solve the Crisis” campaign.
These delegations provide a critical opportunity to sit down face-to-face with senior elected officials to discuss municipal priorities and advocate for program improvements, as well as provide a forum between levels of government for candid and informative conversations. Each year, the AMO Conference empowers municipalities as the closest level of government to residents to share their perspectives with senior levels of government to help inform future legislative priorities.
“AMO provides municipal leaders an effective platform to connect directly with senior officials in the provincial government as well as convene thought leadership on the issues most pressing today including housing, fiscal responsibility, emergency preparedness, capital and social infrastructure,” said City of Burlington Mayor, Marianne Meed Ward. “Municipalities are increasingly taking on additional services in response to evolving resident needs and cannot finance these responsibilities alone. We need a new deal.”
These advocacy priorities are directly informed by the City of Burlington’s Plan: From Vision to Focus 2022-2026 that brings focus and clear strategic objectives to address our changing city and the work needed to move us closer to our long-term aspirational goals. With an expected 265,000 people calling Burlington home by 2051, the City is planning for this and future population growth to make sure we continue to be a community with the highest possible quality of living.
Through participation in advocacy initiatives like AMO, the City continues to work collaboratively with other levels of government to action our collective vision to reach the City’s long-term strategic plan. Mayor Meed Ward is excited to be returning to the AMO Board, on the Large Urban Caucus, in her capacity as Chair of OBCM.
About Ontario’s Big City Mayors
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) is an organization that includes mayors of 29 single and lower-tier cities with a population of 100,000 or more, who collectively represent nearly 70 percent of Ontario’s population. OBCM advocates for issues and policies important to Ontario’s largest cities.
About AMO
AMO works to make municipal governments stronger and more effective. Through AMO, Ontario’s 444 municipalities work together to achieve shared goals and meet common challenges. Through our policy development, cost-saving programs, conferences and training opportunities, AMO provides municipal officials with tools to succeed, and programs to help maximize taxpayer dollars. The mandate of the organization is to support and enhance strong and effective municipal government in Ontario. It promotes the value of the municipal level of government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system.
