MUNICIPAL FUNDING CUT AGAIN

QUEEN’S PARK –Today PC Critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing Ernie Hardeman, Oxford MPP, said it’s disappointing that the government has once again cut the funding that municipalities receive through the Ontario Municipal Partnership fund grant.

“Municipalities are struggling to make ends meet and deliver the services that their residents rely on, but the provincial government continues to cut their funding and add new burdens” said Hardeman. “The cut of $10 million from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund this year brings the total cuts to $70 million in just the last four years.”

The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) is the Province’s main transfer payment to municipalities. Since 2013 OMPF grants have been cut by $70 million.

During his speech at the AMO conference President Gary McNamara was very critical of the government’s recent cuts to municipal funding. “What’s $50,000 here? What’s another $50,000 there? Well, it’s far more than they seem to appreciate. Almost half of Ontario’s municipalities have to hike property taxes by at least one full per cent to raise $50,000 dollars.”

At the same time the government has been cutting Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grants they have added new requirements for municipalities and announced cuts to other programs such as the Power Dam Special Payment Program.

“Every year municipalities are expected to do more and every year they receive less help from the province to do it,” said Hardeman. “While the province may be uploading some costs it doesn’t match the cuts that municipalities have received.”

The 2016 allocations by municipality are available at: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ompf/2016/munlist.html