The following is a press release from Lennox and Addington County
At their June 23 meeting, Lennox and Addington County council members were alarmed to hear that the province intends to decrease funding to The John M. Parrott Centre by $2.41 per resident per day.
This results in a loss of $107,463 in provincial funding which must be made up from the property tax levy.
Along with long term care homes, counties in Ontario are responsible for funding and operating Paramedics Services, the Public Health Unit, as well as many other social determinants of health such as housing and homelessness. The County of Lennox and Addington spends approximately $33 million each year on these direct healthcare services, with over $10 million of that being levied from property taxes. The latest funding cuts by the province will only increase this burden on County taxpayers.
Warden Ric Bresee stated, “This decrease in provincial funding for long term care, especially during a pandemic, is distressing. It puts further pressure on the property tax levy. We are calling on the province to reconsider the funding cuts and provide assurance that the future provincial goal of four hours of care per resident will be funded by the province and not through property taxes.” He went on to say, “After a year and a half, during which our amazing JMPC team of health care providers, support staff and administrators managed to come through this unprecedented pandemic with not one COVID fatality, this cutback seems not only counterproductive but down right punitive. It is an egregious affront to all their hard work.”