MANITOULIN—Island municipalities received some welcome news from the province this week. The annual Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) will see a substantial jump in funds for 2025—so much so that it will cover the shortfall caused by the huge increase in Ontario Provincial Police billings costs revealed to municipalities last month.
As was reported in the October 16 edition, Island municipalities were facing an average increase of 22 percent to their OPP bills, forcing municipalities to see substantial increases to the municipal levy (the amount needed to maintain municipal services).
However, last week the province announced that for 2025, the OMPF will include an immediate increase of $50 million to provide $550 million in unconditional funding to 390 municipalities. The $50 million enhancement will be targeted to small, Northern and rural municipalities and those with a limited property tax base.
“With the introduction of the enhancement to the program in 2025, transitional assistance funding guarantees for core grant recipients will be enhanced to 100 percent of the 2024 allocation in 2025 only,” the OMPF website states. “This will ensure that all OMPF core grant recipients receive at least the same level of funding as they did in 2024.”
Northeast Town CAO Dave Williamson shared the good news with his council at their November 5 meeting. He said he did not know whether it was intentional, but the increase in OMPF was enough to cover the increase to OPP services, with a few hundred dollars left over.
The same can be said for municipalities across Manitoulin, which are also breathing a sigh of relief, at least for 2025.
The breakdown for funds, and the difference between 2024 and 2025, are as follows: Assiginack: $766,700 ($683,200 in 2024—a difference of $83,500); Billings: $620,700 ($546,800 in 2024—a difference of $73,900); Burpee and Mills: $373,100 ($322,800 in 2024—a difference of $50,300); Central Manitoulin: $1,630,000 ($1,447,500 in 2024—a difference of $182,500); Cockburn Island: $188,800 ($118,300 in 2024—a difference of $70,500); Gordon/Barrie Island: $751,400 ($673,500 in 2024—a difference of $77,900); Gore Bay: $503,900 ($466,000 in 2024—a difference of $37,900); Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands: $1,714,900 ($1,571,500 in 2024—a difference of $143,400); and Tehkummah: $422,800 ($372,300 in 2024—a difference of $50,500).
The Expositor reached out to all the municipalities to confirm as to whether the increase in OMPF funds is enough to cover the OPP shortfall. Those clerks and CAOs this newspaper was able to reach confirmed this was the case.
The Expositor spoke with Colin Blachar, deputy director of media, issues and legislative affairs with the ministry of finance to inquire as to whether there was a correlation between the increase in OMPF monies and the OPP billing increase. Mr. Blachar said they were “entirely unrelated,” a coincidence Island municipalities will gladly take.
The Expositor also heard from the Solicitor General’s office, who said “We understand that some municipalities face additional costs due to their existing agreements with the OPP. We will work with these municipalities to ensure they are not negatively financially impacted by this.”
