The majority of councillors here are opposed to Wellington County supporting county hospitals to the tune of $9.4 million.
On June 17, Wellington County’s administration, finance and personnel committee recommended that county council consider a $9.4-million donation to hospitals within the county, and reject two requests from outside hospitals.
The money would include $5 million donated to help build a new Groves hospital in Aboyne and $4.4 million split between Louise Marshall Hospital (LMH) in Mount Forest and Palmerston and District Hospital (PDH) for upgrades to emergency rooms and renovations to house pharmaceutical dispensing units.
Erin Mayor Lou Maieron has spearheaded a campaign against any county funding of hospital projects. He has been joined by fellow Erin county councillor Ken Chapman.
Maieron said public hospital funding should come from municipalities where hospitals are located and not fall onto county residents who don’t use those hospitals.
Maieron, who spoke out against the county hospital funding at the June 17 administration, finance and personnel committee, continued his campaign that night at Erin council.
He said the county has a hospital funding policy which essentially states “we don’t fund hospitals.” He did not see a revised policy which looked at different criteria, nor a financial plan on how to fund the $9.4-million donation.
“But the administration, finance and personnel committee [recommended the county] provide the funding to three hospitals (in Wellington County),” Maieron said.
He pointed out that “humble requests” were made by hospitals in Orangeville and Georgetown for significantly less money, based on the hospital usage by Erin residents.
“Both those requests were rejected,” Maieron said.
As to where the county money was coming from, he contended that based on populations served, Centre Wellington would have accounted for $2.56-million but is getting $5-million in funding – “a doubling of their money.”
However, Maieron said, communities such as Wellington North would contribute $855,000 and get $2.2-million in hospital funding.
Likewise, he contended Mapleton would chip in $800,000 and Minto $558,000 – and they would get $2.2-million (for the Palmerston hospital).
He said the province provides 90 per cent of the “bricks and mortar” funding, but no equipment or furnishing.
Maieron later suggested that since the Palmerston and Mount Forest hospitals are only 20 minutes apart “maybe some of the residents are being serviced twice.”
He contended most of the funding for the northern hospitals “will be coming from the southern residents who don’t have hospitals and our assessments are higher.”
Maieron questioned whether the funding would help all county residents or just those who have hospitals within their municipalities. He pointed out Erin has a number of other local infrastructure needs.
“Funding hospitals is not a municipal responsibility. The bottom line is $1.5-million will come from Erin taxpayers,” said Maieron.
He maintained if Erin tax dollars are being spent on hospitals, then the funds should go to hospitals that are used by Erin residents.
Maieron proposed a resolution stating Erin council does not support tax-funded donations to the three county hospitals which, he opined, sets a very bad precedent.
“Very few Erin residents, if any, went to the Mount Forest or Palmerston hospitals and only 6% of the residents went to Centre Wellington,” Maieron said.
“I don’t think this is very fair if it is not supporting the health of all residents.”
He was equally blunt in stating “I’m tired of Erin being one of the county’s cash cows.”
Councillor Josie Wintersinger agreed with Maieron.
“I think it’s high time we pushed back,” she said.
She added that if the province can find money for its other programs, it can find money for its hospitals.
Councillor John Brennan noted that earlier this year, the town did provide money to various hospitals. The donations were made to illustrate the percentage of residents who used each of the facilities.
“In retrospect that was a mistake,” Brennan said, because “municipalities should not be funding hospitals … period.”
Brennan said the province is essentially stating that if hospitals have access to local funding, “richer communities are going to have better hospitals than poorer communities.”
He considered the move as a provincial endorsement of two-tiered medical care.
Brennan said the county should demand the province do its hospital funding properly “and not shortchange the health care of Ontario.”
Councillor Barb Tocher offered a different stand on the issue. She stated the precedence of county funding for hospital was set a number of years ago.
“In 1994, the county donated millions of dollars to hospitals throughout the county,” she said.
Over the years, additional money was donated to Guelph General Hospital “at a time when our doctors only had approval to practice at the Guelph hospital.”
Tocher said. “if you have a hospital in your community – which we do not – the loss of that hospital would be absolutely devastating to the community.”
Similarly, she said schools, libraries or other institutions are cornerstones of the community. She then pointed out that in 2000, the Erin community faced the potential loss of its high school to Orangeville.
“The County of Wellington and the school board rallied to build a new high school in the village of Erin,” Tocher said.
“We’ve got to stop being so small-minded and just looking at ‘we’ and ‘us’.”
Tocher also stated, “Hospital care is seamless. If we keep our hospitals in Wellington County strong, and every other community keeps their hospitals strong, it won’t matter which hospital you go to.”
She then added she totally disagrees with Maieron’s proposed resolution.
Maieron was unfazed. He contended it is too easy to go to the county to ask for hospital funding.
“You either do it for the benefit of all, or you don’t do it at all.”
Tocher then asked if Guelph-Eramosa or Puslinch had raised concerns. Neither has a hospital within its boundaries.
Maieron did not understand why they didn’t have concerns.
In a recorded 4-1 vote, councillors opposed the county donations to the three hospitals.
Councillors Brennan, Wintersinger and Deb Callaghan supported the mayor’s resolution, while Tocher remained opposed.
