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Ontario helping small and rural municipalities improve services

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Ontario helping small and rural municipalities improve services

Posted in: News Item

Date Posted: 2020-03-03

Organization Name: Province of Ontario

Ontario is investing up to $8.1 million to support projects that will help 115 small and rural municipalities find savings and improve services for their residents and businesses. Projects range from broad reviews that will look at a number of municipal services, to more targeted opportunities for savings such as energy audits and fleet services reviews.

“By making these investments we are helping small and rural municipalities find better ways to deliver important municipal services like roads, waste management and fire services,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “There is only one taxpayer. That’s why we are helping to ensure every dollar is invested wisely and we are getting good value for money.”

The Municipal Modernization Program funding will be used to conduct service delivery reviews. Some municipalities plan to conduct line-by-line reviews of their entire operating budgets, while others will look for ways to lower costs and improve services in specific areas, such as road maintenance or information technology services. For example, the Municipality of Brockton will examine its municipal facilities, including energy and water use and space requirements, to identify ways to better meet community needs while saving money.

Helping municipalities deliver better and more efficient services supports our government’s commitments to make government services smarter and make life more affordable.

Ontario is also investing up to:

  • $3.9 million to help 42 municipalities streamline their local housing and commercial development approvals processes; and
  • $2.6 million for 27 joint projects that will help approximately 130 small and rural municipalities improve services for residents and businesses and lower costs in the longer term.

Up to $125 million is available through 2022-23 through the Municipal Modernization Program to help small and rural municipalities lower costs and improve services.