A 4-3 vote carried a motion in Smiths Falls calling on the provincial and federal governments to collaborate and design a universal basic income program for working-age adults.
In her work as Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lanark County, Councillor Jennifer Miller sees the effects of poverty daily.
5.4% of Ontario lives on low-income according to the 2021 Census, but that number is 16.4% in Smiths Falls. In addition, 4 of 10 households in the town have a combined annual income of less than $50,000.
Councillors Dawn Quinn, Jay Brennan, and Stephen Robinson opposed the motion.
Mayor Shawn Pankow countered Quinn’s remarks earlier in the discussion about education being a reliable avenue to take to break the poverty cycle.
Brennan agrees poverty is a significant issue, but believes the existing programs are enough to help so long as the higher tier governments support them more than they have.
Pankow says without radical change the poverty cycle continues for generations.
Story by Grant Deme