Mayor Paul Jenkins hopes Premier Doug Ford recognizes the significance of rural urban hubs like Bancroft.
Jenkins says that as a rural urban hub, Bancroft is the commercial hub for North Hastings. He says that because of that, they need to be funded accordingly by the PCs.
Currently, Bancroft and other rural municipalities in Ontario are funded by the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund. With the OMPF, $510 million is given to 389 municipalities across Ontario. However, Jenkins wants a special consideration to be given to places like Bancroft that are rural urban hubs. He says that Bancroft is treated no differently than any other municipality.
Ford mentioned on the campaign trail that with his plan he will “include our farmers and rural families who have been left behind by the Liberals.” Jenkins agrees that he felt left behind. He says that the Liberals chose to focus on funding the Golden Horseshoe in Southern Ontario and neglected towns like Bancroft. For the good of Ontario, he says, that needs to change.
Simply put, Jenkins says that he wants to be listened to. He mentioned that he has requested face-to-face meetings in past, but has been ignored. He finished by saying that if the Province gives him and other rural communities a “sincere ear,” they will learn a lot.