Guelph’s mayor is proposing a new tax to help address social issues in the city.
In a video posting on YouTube, Cam Guthrie brings up the idea of a 1 or 2 percent levy that would go toward mental health, addictions and homelessness initiatives.
They call it the Provincial Impacts Local Levy, or PILL.
Guthrie said, “This is a levy that really shows what a price everybody is paying for provincial inaction on things.”
Guthrie says the levy would generate $4.2 million, or $63 a year, for the average household.
“Right off the top, we have $750,000 for the hospital,” Guthrie said. “Beneath that, we have Bill 23, $2 million. Below that, Bill 109, $275,000. What would be left? Just over $1.1 million that could go towards homelessness, addictions, and mental health issues the community is facing.
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Guthrie says he will raise the issue at the next council meeting and wants to work with his council colleagues to achieve this.
“I think we need to take action to show transparency,” Guthrie said. “I also think we need to take action, especially on homelessness, mental health and addictions. And it’s going to cost money.
During the municipal election, the Waterloo Wellington chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association and Grove Wellington Guelph launched a campaign to make mental health and wellness an election issue.
“We thought this was a good time to talk about how we engage our local and provincial politicians in prioritizing the mental health of children and youth,” said Krista Sibbilin, executive director of CMHA Waterloo Wellington.
“We really need to look at what this pandemic does to well-being in our community and how we can really address that,” said Cindy Forsyth, executive director of The Grove.
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