Investments Will Support Communities, Respect Taxpayer Dollars
March 29, 2019 - Ontario's government is working for the people to improve local
service delivery and efficiency in the province's municipalities. On March 20, 2019,
Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced a one-time investment
for many of Ontario's small and rural municipalities.
The following Elgin-Middlesex-London Municipalities will receive funding:
- The Municipality of Thames Centre- $610,207
- Malahide Township- $558,587
- Southwold Township- $414,626
- Town of Aylmer- $553,810
- Municipality of West Elgin- $553,560
- Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich- $400,288
- Municipality of Central Elgin- $604,351
- Municipality of Bayham- $546,408
- City of St. Thomas- $369,992
- County of Elgin- $725,000
These allocations will assist in improving service delivery by finding smarter,
more efficient ways to spend money that help those who need it most while respecting
taxpayer dollars. This is part of the government's plan to support some of Ontario's
small and rural municipalities that may have limited capacity to plan, modernize
and improve the way they provide services to their communities.
"Taxpayers need their local government to deliver modern, efficient services that
show respect for their hard-earned dollars. This funding will help small and rural
municipalities improve how they deliver services and reduce the ongoing costs of
providing those services," said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
"I look forward to continuing to work together with our municipal partners to help
people and businesses in communities across our province thrive."
Ontario's government for the people was elected to restore transparency and accountability
in Ontario's finances. The province undertook a line-by-line review of its own expenditures,
and we have been clear that we expect our partners, including municipalities, to
be taking steps to become more efficient. Examples could include service delivery
reviews, development of shared services agreements, IT solutions, capital investments
or other projects. Municipalities will decide how to best target funding to benefit
their local communities.
"I am proud that our government recognizes the unique needs of small and rural municipalities
in regard to service delivery," said MPP Jeff Yurek. "Our government believes that
municipalities are best positioned to determine where and how this money is best
spent in order to prepare for the future."
The funding supports Ontario's commitment to reduce the cost of government.
Quick Facts
- 405 small and rural municipalities will receive funding.
- To ensure investments are targeted to where they are needed most, funding will be
allocated based on the number of households in a municipality and whether the municipality
is urban or rural.