ONTARIO – The Ontario government announcement of 2022 funding allocations under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) was welcomed by a local municipal leader recently. This funding is the province’s main general assistance grant to municipalities.
“We had been anxious about funding for the coming year and we’re very relieved the province has announced this funding,” said Richard Stephens, mayor of the Municipality of Central Manitoulin. “This is a big chunk of our revenue for the year.”
Mayor Stephens pointed out Central Manitoulin will receive about $12,000 less in OMPF funding in 2022 than for 2021. “We came up short about $12,000. I think we will survive. Sure, we could always take more funding but with all the funds both the province and the federal governments have been spending, especially with the pandemic, we were hoping to hear about this funding. It is good news.”
“Our government recognizes the importance of the OMPF to communities across the province, and we’ve heard loud and clear what our municipal partners are looking for,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, minister of Finance. “We are committed to making sure the OMPF continues to meet the needs of local communities by providing stable financial support that they can count on.”
Ontario has been consulting with municipalities on their priorities for the OMPF. Throughout these discussions, municipal partners have stressed the importance of stability and predictability, particularly during these uncertain times, a press release explains. Ontario has maintained both the structure of the OMPF and the program envelope at $500 million for 2022, as committed at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO’s) annual conference in August 2021.
“Predictable and timely financial support from the province is essential for budget planning in small and rural municipalities,” said AMO president Graydon Smith. “The early rollout of stable 2020 OMPF allocations sets the stage for effective budget planning for the year ahead.”
In 2022 the province is providing the Township of Assiginack with $686,600 in funding through the OMPF, which is the equivalent of $791 per household. This is a decrease from the 2021 OMPF of $696,700; the province is providing OMPF funding of $523,500 to Billings Township, which is the equivalent of $690 per household. The allocation is an increase over 2021 OMPF funding of $523,400; For the Township of Burpee and Mills, the province is providing $308,200 in OMPF funding, the equivalent of $868 per household. In 2021 the township was provided $308,800 in OMPF funding; The Municipality of Central Manitoulin will receive $1,410,100 in OMPF funding in 2022, the equivalent of $786 per household. This is a decrease from the 2021 OMPF funding of $1,422,900; the Township of Cockburn Island will receive a total of $118,300 in OMPF funding in 2022 (the same amount as in 2021) and the equivalent of $1,245 per household; the municipality of Gordon/Barrie Island will receive a total of $636,700 in OMPF funding in 2022 (the equivalent of $883 per household), an increase over its 2021 OMPF funding allocation of $628,700; the Town of Gore Bay will receive the same OMPF funding allocation in 2022 as it received in 2021, a total of $465,800 which is the equivalent of $1,049 per household; the municipality of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands will receive $1,617,100 in OMPF funding in 2022, the equivalent of $729 per household. This is a decrease from its 2021 OMPF allocation of $1,633,400. The Township of Tehkummah is to receive $372,300 in funding through the OMPF in 2022, the same the township received in 2021, the equivalent of $952 per household.
