More hospital funding needed, says Essa mayor
By Richard Blanchard

Simcoe County should consider increasing its contributions to hospital construction by as much as 70 per cent, according to Essa Township mayor Dave Guergis.

Guergis made his comments recently, after he and other county councillors listened to a presentation on behalf of county hospitals by Royal Victoria Hospital CEO Janice Skot.

Guergis, who has long argued that infrastructure such as hospitals and schools must be in place before future residential development is constructed, said that raising the county's annual contribution to capital projects from $3 million to $5 million or more per year would not be out of place.

"Rather than waiting for a catastrophe, we should be addressing it right now. We should be talking to the province," said Guergis.

"I think the grant should be increased by a couple of million dollars."

Guergis noted that the county has made major contributions to both of the hospitals in Orillia and Barrie and expected similar requests for major capital funding in the near future from the hospitals in Collingwood and Alliston.

Simcoe County has made contributions of $3 million per year to a capital fund for hospital construction. The Simcoe County Hospital Alliance is made up of the county hospitals and Southlake hospital in Newmarket.