Finance committee  That's correct.

Finance committee  Currently all services--housing, child care, and social assistance--are co-funded under a very complex formula between the province, assisted by federal contributions, and the municipality. So there is a movement, certainly, to try to clarify that responsibility, just as there is between the province and you.

Finance committee  The cost sharing is probably something more complex.

Finance committee  We obviously see an interesting mixed role—certainly, historically, with the joint funding of the affordable housing expansion in 2005 and CMHC's role as a funder and coordinator of support services. We also see it as being part of an essential service within a community. So I would think that until such time as there is a full and complete separation of tax points and responsibilities, there certainly is a transitional role.

Finance committee  Our organization would strongly support a retention of both the annualization of child care and the SCPI funding as critical components toward the future. If that competes with tax reduction, we would see the investment as a priority, as compared to tax reduction.

Finance committee  Thank you. Good morning. My name is Rick Williams and I'm here as president of the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association, or OMSSA. I'm also the community services commissioner for the district of Muskoka. OMSSA is the collective voice of social and community services staff at the municipal level in Ontario, and our mandate is to make positive progressive change happen in the areas of early learning and care, homelessness and housing, and social assistance.