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Orangeville to strengthen advocacy with higher levels of government

May 29, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Orangeville council is steering itself toward a closer advocacy relationship with the provincial and federal governments.

To that end, council shed light on its Government Relations Advocacy Plan during its May 26 meeting. It’s long been true that building strong relationships with government and community stakeholders is the main plank in effective advocacy.

According to a report to council, the town’s plan is designed to develop, coordinate, implement, and monitor strategies that reflect council-endorsed priorities.

Those priorities include key infrastructure projects such as the Pullen Well and a new elevated water storage facility; the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF); Ontario Provincial Police (OPP); funding from what was known as the Gas Tax; New linear parks and trails along former rail corridors; the Rotary Park redevelopment; and the proposed provincial fund for an Ontario Digital Public Library (ODPL).

Taking a proactive and strategic approach is essential to ensuring the municipality’s voice is heard and residents’ needs are addressed. As the town continues to evolve, so too will the scope and sophistication of advocacy efforts.

Ongoing refinement will be required in how the town engages government partners, builds effective relationships, and presents requests. Advocacy topics are closely aligned with the town’s strategic objectives to support the continued advancement of high-priority initiatives.

Potential grant programs have been identified to support a more targeted and effective advocacy approach. More detailed briefing materials will be developed in advance of formal conference opportunities.

According to a report to council: “Legislation and government policy are continually evolving, requiring the town’s advocacy efforts to remain flexible and responsive.”

Given the number of external factors that can influence outcomes, it is essential that Orangeville’s approach balances long-term strategic thinking with the ability to adapt quickly to new developments.

Mayor Lisa Post said one of the municipal priorities that should be impressed upon Queen’s Park is bringing the Pullen Well online as part of the town’s drinking water system.

“We’re at a point right now where we would like to delegate to talk about potential funding opportunities that the province can support us with bringing that well online,” she said.

Orangeville’s municipal drinking water system is supplied by 12 wells located in nine wellfields inside and outside municipal boundaries. The town is working to connect the Pullen Well, which is known as Well 13, to its drinking water system.

Post said staff will introduce that project in August during the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference.

The town will also lobby for inclusion in the gas tax and the OMPF funding sources. Post said the town has been unfairly excluded from the OMPF.

“We’d like to ask again that (Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy) look at the current calculation on how they get there,” Post said.

Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor suggested the OPP contract costs be added to Post’s list of topics to address at the AMO.

“Just because we don’t know truly what the plan is moving forward,” he said. “It gives me great angst that we don’t know because the amount of increase, it could be $500,000.”

Conversations are required about the means of how the provincial police force calculates the price charged to municipalities, he said.

“It’d be great to have some conversations about that and put some pressure on them to say you’re leaving us in the lurch as a tiny little municipality and a big bill,” Taylor said.

Post agreed that the OPP is an important issue. But she left it off her delegation list because Orangeville is one of more than 300 communities that share that concern.

“I’m not certain that we will get a positive response from the Solicitor General’s office, but we can always ask for a delegation and see what they say,” Post said.

“The other thing we could simply do is wait until the very end when the large room is open and question then,” Taylor said. “It would be good if there was some pressure put on them just to give us an idea.”

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