FCM calls for ‘urgent investment’ in federal infrastructure – Daily Commercial News

OTTAWA – The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is calling for the federal government to invest in critical infrastructure for Canadian communities.

The FCM is calling for the federal government to enhance its commitment to new housing in Budget 2024 by investing in “the infrastructure required to develop complete communities for Canadian families,” and stressed in a release that said municipalities need to rely on programs such as the Canada Community Building Fund to support growth and rehabilitation of existing assets.

“We have been moving at a record pace,” said Mayor of Halifax and chair of Big City Mayors’ Caucus, Mike Savage. “Municipalities across the country have been accelerating housing construction, fast-tracking permit approvals, and coming up with innovative zoning solutions to get more housing built faster.”

Municipalities own and maintain most of the infrastructure in Canada, the release said, but only collect between eight and 12 cents out of every tax dollar.

“We tend to take infrastructure for granted because most of us only think about it when it’s not working. We expect our first responders to show up when there’s a crisis, our local recreation centre to have space for kids to play, and our bus to get us to work on time. But this critical infrastructure and these services cost money – and municipalities can’t be expected to keep raising property taxes to pay for them,” FCM president Scott Pearce added.

To support growth, the release said, the FCM is advocating for all levels of government to develop and agree on a municipal growth framework to ensure economic development.

“It is high time to empower municipalities with the tools they need to support growth,” Savage said.