Timmins planning to withhold DSSAB payments

In another effort to achieve a fairer funding model, Timmins is looking into withholding payments to the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board.

Mayor Steve Black says this won’t happen until 2017, giving the city a six month window to open up talks with the province and get a mediation process underway.

This, after the response from the Minister of Community and Social Services, who said Timmins should work out the issue within the DSSAB.

This has been an ongoing battle throughout Northeastern Ontario.  Changing the funding model would require some neighbouring towns to pay more into the program.

In an open letter earlier this year, Black says Timmins residents paid $1.7-million for services in 2016 alone.

Timmins pays $3,636,731 for land ambulance service and receives just $2,234,224 worth of services.

As it is, Timmins pays almost $2-million more than when the DSSAB was established, while some others actually pay less than their 1999 counterparts.

It’s caused some stirring around the council table, more specifically city councillor Joe Campbell.  Campbell is the Vice-Chair of the DSSAB.

He says withholding the payments is no way to do business with the province, and promptly voted nay to the request.

Everyone else, including Black, voted the other way and wishes to get a funding model similar to the ones in Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie.