Mat Siscoe says local residents still paying for St. Catharines hospital
St. Catharines mayor is explaining why the city has not contributed anything yet to the new South Niagara hospital.
Mat Siscoe says they're following procedure similar to when the St. Catharines hospital was built roughly 20 years ago.
"A lot of municipalities didn't put in directly then, but St. Catharines taxpayers are still paying for our contributions. That's actually a piece of our property tax bill every year. I think there's one more year for St. Catharines residents to continue paying that special hospital levy. But, it's pretty standard practice."
So far Fort Erie has offered up $3-million, while Niagara Falls has stepped up with over $30-million.
As for the new hospital currently under construction, the mayor adds local residents are contributing, but through the region. "So, St. Catharines taxpayers will be paying for a portion of it. But St. Catharines, as an individual municipality, isn't making a contribution in the same way as the other cities and towns.... only a couple of them, I believe, made a contribution back in the early 2000s when St. Catharines hospital was being built."
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