ONTARIO—While the province of Ontario is continuing to provide Northern, rural and small municipalities funds through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) with total funding remaining the same for 2024 as it was in 2023, it doesn’t mean all Manitoulin Island municipalities will be receiving the same allotment this year.
In the case of the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI), the town will receive $1,571,500 in the 2024 OMPF allocation. This is a decrease from the 2023 allotment of $1,604,300. The total weighted assessment this year is $246,233 or a household share of $2,240. It is $701.56 per household.
Dave Williamson, CAO off NEMI told the Expositor, “Our allotment for 2024 (compared to 2023) is going down by $32,800. This hurts us because it means a one percent increase on our taxes. We would just as soon have had the (allotment) go the other way.”
The municipality of Assiginack will also see a decrease in this year’s OMPF funding. In 2024 the municipality will receive $683,200, a decrease from its 2023 share of $690,700.
The Town of Gore Bay will receive OMPF funding in the amount of $466,000. In 2023 the allocation was $467,400.
Billings Township will receive $546,800 in 2024 compared to $544,700 in 2023.
Gordon/Barrie Island will receive the same OMPF funding in 2024 as it did last year in the amount of $673,500.
Central Manitoulin will receive $1,447,500 in 2024 an increase over its 2023 allotment of $1,446,900.
Tehkummah will receive $372,500 in OMPF funding in 2024 a reduction of $200 in its share from 2023.
Burpee and Mills will receive the same amount in 2024 as last year, $322,800. Allocation for the township of Burpee and Mills will be $322,800 a
Ontario is continuing to support Northern, rural, and small municipalities through OMPF, which will once again provide funding of $500 million for 2024. The funding, which is unconditional, will be distributed to 390 municipalities across the province to help local priorities and specific community needs.
“Maintaining a close relationship with our municipal partners is crucial as we build a strong Ontario together,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, minister of finance. “Our government recognizes the unique challenges northern rural and small communities face. This is why the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, along with other programs, are critical in building stronger and resilient communities across the province.”
The OMPF is one part of Ontario’s overall support to municipalities, which continues to increase. The government has doubled the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and, since 2021, has introduced new supports such as the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) and the Building Faster Fund, a $1.2 billion program that supports community growth throughout the province, including in small, rural and Northern communities. Ontario also recently announced that it will restore provincial annual base funding for public health units in 2024.
“As municipalities begin annual budget planning this fall, ongoing economic uncertainty threatens their ability to make informed decisions for the long-term,” said Colin Best, president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). “Stable and predictable funding like (OMPF) remains critical to municipal governments who remain key partners in helping to build a strong Ontario.”
The OMPF funding is unconditional and can be used to support the local priorities and specific needs of each community.
Ontario increased its annual investment in the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) by $1 billion over five years, starting in 2022. OCIF provides investment to help 425 small, rural and Northern communities renew and rehabilitate roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure.
The Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) program is providing up to $15 million annually over five years to northern municipalities to support infrastructure projects.
Starting January 1, 2024, the province will restore annual base funding ($47 million) for public health units to the level previously provided under the 2020 cost-share ratio.
The Building Faster Fund will provide up to $1.2 billion over three yeas for municipalities that meet or exceed the housing targets they have pledged to achieve by 2031.
