Why Gananoque won’t donate $75,000 to University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, according to one councillor

A Gananoque councillor is speaking out and defending council’s decision to reduce the proposed donation of $75,000 to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) to $5,000 during the March 4 final budget meeting.

Ultimately, an 8.97 per cent property tax increase was agreed upon. Contributing $75,000 to the UHKF would have resulted in a 9.7 per cent increase. The motion not to provide the larger donation passed with a 5-2 vote.

For context, Kingston, Brockville, Belleville, Quinte West, and most other municipalities in southeastern Ontario that have residents making use of Kingston’s hospital services have historically agreed to contribute upon request from UHKF. More than half of the patients treated at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) come from surrounding municipalities, and KGH provides services that smaller local hospitals like Brockville and Quinte are unable to. In 2023 there were over 15,000 visits to KHSC from residents of Gananoque, and since 2019 trips from the town to KHSC for cancer treatment specifically have increased 30 per cent. 

In a social media post, Councillor David Osmond, who spearheaded the motion, admits that “this decision will not be popular with everyone,” and said that the topic “landed in the paper last year so I think it’s important to get ahead of it and provide the rationale and some of the details behind this decision.”

Osmond said that the discussion resulted in the “longest and most contentious conversation” of the evening, and was spearheaded by his own motion against making the $75,000 donation. The $5,000 donation will now come from a community grant instead of an addition to residents’ property taxes.

Osmond laid out numerous points as to why he believes this was the right decision.

“I believe the UHKF is a great organization with an important mandate and that health care is underfunded by the federal and provincial government,” he said in the statement. “Our constitution lays it out pretty clear that health care funding basically comes from the feds and the province and if needed the province can increase taxes to support healthcare.”

He noted, however, that he does not believe municipal elected officials should decide what charity residents’ property taxes should go to. “I believe we were elected to make decisions on municipal functions, services and assets.”

He added that it is very easy and takes less than two minutes to make a donation online.

“I did just that and made a $40 donation to both the Kingston and Brockville hospitals this year and received tax receipts.”

Osmond pointed out that the decision not to donate the $75,000 reduced the town’s tax increase by almost a full percentage point, and gives residents the money back to make the donation themselves, or even making a larger donation and getting a tax receipt, which they would not get if the town donated instead.

“Or maybe you need this to buy groceries, diapers or perhaps have another charity that your family would prefer to donate [to],” the councillor added.

Osmond referenced a well-attended meeting held a few months about doctor retention, at which those in attendance were largely in favour of providing the $75,000.

“I do apologize to those in attendance but unfortunately an unofficial referendum by a show of hands from 100 people isn’t how funding decisions are finalized or should be made,” he said.

“Pick any topic in Gan from arts, sports to bridges, [if] I call a meeting to discuss a new arena or lower the cost of ice rentals, those that show up will all raise their hands in favour, but that’s not a fair representation of the community and likely would lead to a decision that’s isn’t in the larger community’s best interest,” he said. “Maybe not the best example but I’m sure you get the picture.”

Osmond admitted that other municipalities do donate. “Sorry, that’s not a reason to do anything,” he said.

Osmond concluded that “I do think UHKF is an amazing cause and is a necessity,” noting that he hopes every resident with the means to do so clicks on the link he shared “and makes a $40, $400 or $4,000 donation to this important cause.”

With files from Owen Fullerton