The mayors of Grey Highlands and The Blue Mountains have expressed concerns about reduced operating funding their municipalities will receive from the province in 2023
The Ontario government recently announced the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund amounts that local governments will receive in the coming year.
The Town of The Blue Mountains and the Municipality of Grey Highlands will both see less money flow into their coffers from the provincial program.
In 2023, The Blue Mountains will receive $1,314,400 from the partnership program, which is slightly less than the $1,322,000 the town received in 2022. The 2023 amount is down $7,600.
The situation is similar for Grey Highlands. In 2023, the municipality will receive $1,022,000 in funding, compared to $1,043,000. The 2023 amount is down $21,000.
Grey Highlands Mayor Paul McQueen said the drop in funding will have an impact locally.
“We are a little disappointed with the reduction. I think it was said the province was in a surplus situation and why take it away from the municipalities?” asked McQueen. “We have experienced increased costs from inflation for our construction and other tendering this past year. We will have challenges this year with the 2023 budget. As I understand, we are getting $20,000 less, which means that has to be made up from our taxpayers.”
The Blue Mountains Mayor Andrea Matrosovs said it is a good news/bad news situation for her community.
“The good news is (the province) is continuing with (the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund). The bad news is that $500 million isn’t the same as a few years ago. Inflation has done its work,” she said. “It is good to hear we’re getting our share in order to make things work.”
Matrosovs said the Association of Municipalities has raised concerns that the provincial partnership funding has dropped by $59 million since 2014.
Across the area, local municipalities are seeing both increases and decreases to the amounts they are receiving from the province. They include:
Township of Chatsworth - 2023 total: $862,500, 2022 total: $908,600 - down: $46,100
Township of Clearview - 2023 total: $952,300, 2022 total: $994,200 - down: $41,900
Township of Georgian Bluffs - 2023 total: $878,700, 2022 total: $861,600 - up: $17,100
Town of Hanover - 2023 total: $1,929,100, 2022 total: $1,930,800 - down: $1,700
Municipality of Meaford - 2023 total: $1,311,400, 2022 total: $1,241,600 - up: $69,800
City of Owen Sound - 2023 total: $1,961,600, 2022 total: $1,909,800 - up: $51,800
Township of Southgate - 2023 total: $680,300, 2022 total: $611,200 - up: $69,100
Town of Wasaga Beach - 2023 total: $1,109,500, 2022 total: $1,305,200 - down: $195,700
Municipality of West Grey - 2023 total: $1,485,100, 2022 total: $1,530,800 - down: $45,700
The Town of Collingwood and the counties of Grey and Simcoe do not receive money from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund.
Across the province the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund delivers $500 million to 389 municipalities. Complete details about the 2023 allocations can be found here.
