Item - 2026.MM42.16

Councillor Lily Cheng, seconded by Councillor Chris Moise, recommends that:

1. City Council request the Province of Ontario to provide a stable, long-term funding commitment for Toronto Public Health that:

a. incorporates an annual cost of living adjustment equivalent to the annual average Ontario Consumer Price Index;

b. considers the complexity of Toronto’s population health needs and the ratio of public health staff to the population compared to other municipalities;

c. reflects increasing service demands from provincially mandated required activities; and

d. considers negotiated wages that are commensurate with wages in other municipal public health offices in Ontario.

Most programs and services delivered by Toronto Public Health are mandatory programs required by the Ontario Public Health Standards and are funded by the provincial government (cost-shared or 100 per cent funded). As part of Strengthening Public Health, there had been a three-year commitment for modest annual funding increases of approximately 1 per cent per year for 2024/25, to 2026/27. This is effectively a cut in public health budgets considering obligations in meeting inflationary pressures and increasing service demands from required activities, amounting to increasing cost pressures for Toronto Public Health and the City of Toronto as the obligated municipality.

Inflationary pressures and cost of living increases continue to be one of the key drivers attributing to year-over-year increases to Toronto Public Health’s annual budget. In particular, the recently ratified Local 79 agreement, which includes Toronto Public Health staff, results in a cumulative 16.4 per cent increase in salaries and benefits over four years. Public Health Nurses will see an even greater increase of 17.9 per cent to their base salary rate. These increases represent significant cost pressure along with other inflationary impact on service delivery.

Provincial public health funding that is adjusted for inflation will help to ensure that Toronto Public Health is able to deliver mandatory provincial programs and respond to the growing population and health needs in Toronto. There are currently no provincial commitments for public health funding for 2027/28 and beyond. A stable, long-term provincial funding commitment that acknowledges annual inflationary pressures is needed so Toronto Public Health can plan and deliver core public health programs and services without disruption and meet the demands of a growing city.