CAO breaks down Municipality’s 2021 OMPF allocation
Tim Brody - Editor
The Ontario Government has informed municipalities of their specific 2021 Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) allocations.
The Municipality of Sioux Lookout will receive an allocation of $1,476,000. According the Government of Ontario, this an equivalent of $588 per household, citing 2512 households in Sioux Lookout.
Municipal CAO, Michelle Larose explained, “The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund is the Province’s main general assistance grant to the Municipality. It primarily supports northern and rural municipalities across the province. The primary objectives are to recognize the challenges of northern and rural municipalities, while targeting funding to those with more challenging fiscal circumstances; support areas with limited property assessment; and assists municipalities that adjust to year-over-year funding changes. The Municipality of Sioux Lookout uses the OMPF as general assistance to contribute to the overall budget of the Municipality each year.”
Asked if The Municipality had more households, would its OMPF allocation increase, Larose responded, “In short, yes. The OMPF allocations are based on a number of components that make up the total funding allocation. Some components use the number of households to determine that portion of funding while another would use weighted assessment as the measurement to determine that portion of the total funding for example.”
She explained, “For OMPF purposes, the Province uses the returned roll from the previous year (2019) from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). This includes the following property classes: 1. Residential Unit (permanent households); 2. Residential Dwelling Unit (seasonal households such as cottages; and 3. Farm residential Unit (farmlands on which a farm exists).”
“The allocations are based on a number of factors used by the province, some of which include the household count as defined by MPAC as well as the weighted property assessments. There are five components that are used to determine the overall allocation:
- Assessment Equalization Grant;
- Northern Communities Grant;
- Rural Communities Grant;
- Northern and Rural Fiscal Circumstances Grant; and
- Transitional Assistance,”
she concluded.
“Our government recognizes the importance of certainty and stability for municipalities, particularly in these challenging times. That's why we are announcing the allocations for the 2021 OMPF today (Oct. 29) — consistent with our commitment last year to provide our partners with the information they need, when they need it to plan their budgets," said Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance. "Our government will continue to work together with municipal governments to build a strong foundation for Ontario's long-term economic recovery, and improve the quality of life for the people across the province.”