2010 concerns

As the Ward 4 Oakville Regional and Town Councillor, I want to ensure that a 900 mega watt Power Plant will never be built in the ward. I have grave concerns that it could happen based on the info that was presented at the council meeting on Sept 27^th 2010 by Lee St. James, then President of the Oakville PC Riding Association and current Campaign Manager for the Oakville PC Candidate, Larry Scott. She proposed putting the Power Plant in Ward 4, west of Bronte Rd. between 407 and Burnhamthorpe Rd. Listen for yourself: Go to the link below and fast forward to 1:12:18 http://www.towntv.ca/100927.htm

Concern 2 - Hudak has stated he will strip the Conservation Authorities of their powers

At a meeting with a group of farmers in June, Hudak stated that if elected premier, he would give the Ministry of Agriculture authority to deal with matters currently under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Authority, effectively stripping the Conservation Authorities of their powers. According to AgriNews (July 2011): "When asked how he would strip the conservation authorities of their power, he replied, 'This is not going to be easy, but it's the right thing, and we are going to do it.' "

During the past decade I've served on both the Halton Conservation Authority and Credit Valley Conservation Authority, and I know from experience how truly important their non-partisan work is in protecting against threats from development that could severely damage our environment. In my opinion, based on my experiences with the boards, the real beneficiaries of this change could be developers and other corporate interests who may want to by-pass important environmental regulations currently dealt with through the Conservation Authority. Below is the link to the letter that the General Manager of Conservation Ontario sent to Mr Hudak in July.

Did you know that a significant number of Oakville property tax dollars go to Toronto every year? From 1998 to 2006, by order of the Harris PC Government, Oakville taxpayers were subsidizing Toronto’s social services to the tune of $14.7 million each year. Since 2007 the Province has been gradually taking over the responsibility of these costs at the rate of $2.436 million per year. This year, Oakville taxpayers provided subsidization to Toronto in the amount of $4.872 million. We would be relieved of the Toronto subsidy under the agreement with the Liberal Government by 2013.

In addition, since 1998, Oakville taxpayers have been sending property tax money to the Province for Ontario welfare and court costs. The burden on Oakville property taxpayers for this is $2.562 million this year. Since 2007 the Provincial Liberal Government has been taking over this burden and by 2018 will complete the shift off of the property tax base.

Removing these burdens from municipalities like Oakville is called “uploading”. At a meeting of the Association of Municipalities in August all the provincial parties were asked if they support the completion of the uploading project. Both the Liberals and NDP gave a clear answer of yes. Tim Hudak refused to commit to honouring the full uploading agreement.

According to Oakville Mayor, Rob Burton, the tax burden on Oakville taxpayers will be $7.434 million per year if the Provincial Government does not continue its uploading program. This is equivalent to 3.3% of all Oakville municipal property tax payments. Communities all across Ontario have planned and budgeted with the uploading schedule in mind. If the uploading program is discontinued it could have a serious effect on property taxes and service levels.

Mayors in communities across the province are speaking out about this issue. The link below is a letter from Mayor Hazel McCallion voicing her concerns.

Thank you to Ward 4 voters for your support in the election. I am encouraged and humbled by your strong endorsement of the work I have done on your behalf.

I would like to extend a special thank you to the people who assisted in the campaign by making donations, knocking on doors, handing out brochures, putting up signs, repairing vandalized signs, and replacing vanishing lawn signs. Thank you also to those who contacted me to offer moral support.

I am looking forward to the next four years. There is much to do and I am anxious to dig in.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or comments. If you would like to join my mailing list to receive periodic emails about issues or breaking news let me know at elgar@sympatico.ca

Region Council since 2000. I have worked hard on behalf of the residents and the environment and am proud of my achievements. I hope that you agree that my experience, vision, and dedication to Oakville and Halton Region are worthy of your vote in the upcoming election. Please feel free to contact me about issues or ideas." Allan Elgar

Hello, and welcome to the Allan Elgar re-election website. Here you'll find news and information to help you make the best decision on October 25th. You can learn more about what has been accomplished in the last term both at the town and the Region of Halton. You can find out more about me, my background and what I stand for.

Please plan to check this website often as I plan to update frequently as events develop.

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