Tim Lauer (tlauer.ca)

Orillia consumes a relatively small geographic area. 34000 people live inside an 11 square mile plot. The taxpayers of Orillia provide a retail, cultural, educational, medical, recreational and employment hub to a greater catchment area estimated at 85,000 people living in surrounding townships who make higher average incomes and who do not participate in the funding of the infrastructure required to maintain this hub. Given that we are now being asked to intensify so as not to encroach on our neighbouring townships and given we are being asked to provide more and more affordable housing options to service the region I think as we discuss boundary expansion and before we jump ahead with our new intensification driven Official Plan it maybe the appropriate time to discuss what the Townships or County might do for us.