Loyalist Township are calling on the Ontario government for immediate implementation of sustainable funding for small rural municipalities.
The July 9 resolution begins by stating, “It is apparent that the Ontario Government has overlooked the needs of small rural Ontario.” Staff are currently circulating the resolution to provincial politicians and associations including Premier Doug Ford, Ontario’s Solicitor General, the Minister of Finance, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
The resolution notes that rural municipalities with populations of less than 20,000 are facing infrastructure deficits that property tax revenue alone can’t cover. Staff believe sustainable funding would provide these municipalities the relief they need while having a minimal impact on the provincial budget.
The annual cost for OPP in Loyalist Township for 2024 will be $2,446,100, representing 7.8 per cent of the township’s total expenses. Staff is recommending the province provide the funding by reabsorbing the cost of the OPP with no cost recovery to municipalities.
