Area communities hammered by blizzard of Liberal cash

NEWS RELEASES

DAVID ORAZIETTI, MPP SAULT STE. MARIE

MIKE BROWN, MPP ALGOMA-MANITOULIN

***************** Orazietti announces $411,440 increase in 2006 provincial funding for City of Sault Ste. Marie

Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund supports community needs

Sault Ste. Marie ─ Under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF), Sault Ste. Marie will be receiving $25,941,091 for 2006, an increase of $411,440 over last year, said MPP David Orazietti.

A total of $707 million is being provided to municipalities through OMPF in 2006, a $51 million or 7.7 per cent increase over 2005.

"Our government has listened to the concerns of Sault residents and despite significant provincial fiscal challenges, has responded by providing more OMPF funding than last year to our city," said Orazietti. "The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) provides an equitable, clear and transparent funding model which will significantly improve our ability to cover the rising costs of municipal services."

The OMPF assists municipalities with their share of social program costs; supports areas with limited property assessment; addresses challenges faced by northern and rural communities; and responds to policing costs in rural communities.

"The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund is a fair, responsive and transparent system of grants that provides similar funding to municipalities in similar circumstances," said Finance Minister Dwight Duncan. "It is an example of a new and evolving program that contributes to our commitment to strengthening our communities."

The OMPF replaced the Community Reinvestment Fund in 2005 as the province's primary transfer payment to municipalities.

In 2006, it will provide funding to 391 municipalities - or 88 per cent of all municipalities in the province.

All four grants within the OMPF have been increased as follows:

• the Social Programs Grant rises from $179 million to $184 million

• the Equalization Grant rises from $170 million to $197 million

• the Northern and Rural Communities Grant rises from $249 million to $260 million

• the Police Services Grant rises from $58 million to $66 million

The OMPF is part of a larger government commitment to strengthen Ontario communities along with other initiatives such as:

• providing $298 million toward the $900 million fund for the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund

• delivering more than $1 billion in provincial gas tax revenues to municipalities over five years

• increasing the provincial share of public health to 75 per cent by 2007

• assisting more than 170 municipalities with up to $2.2 billion in low-cost, longer term loans, for more than 1,100 local projects, through the Ontario Strategic Infrastructure Financing Authority

"We are working with municipalities to improve the quality of life for all Ontario citizens," said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Gerretsen.

******************* Brown welcomes OMPF funding increase for Algoma area municipalities

Mike Brown, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin welcomed the announcement today of funding increases to Algoma area municipalities under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund.

"This is good news for the Algoma area," said Brown. "The government has recognized the need to support our Northern communities. The costs of social programs and police services can be quite onerous on Northern municipalities and the OMPF includes targeted funding to assist Northern municipalities with these costs."

The specific levels of funding for each municipality for 2006, as well as their increases from 2005, are as follows: The Township of St. Joseph $ 684,664, an increase of $9,774

The Township of The North Shore $450,215, an increase of $4,029

The Town of Thessalon $904,671, an increase of $23,372

The Township of Tarbutt and Tarbutt Additional $294,897, an increase of $3,800

The Township of Hilton $241,337, an increase of $3,618

The Village of Hilton Beach $92,257, an increase of $1,633

The Town of Bruce Mines $430,110, an increase of $27,873

The Township of Plummer Additional $593,758, an increase of $13,318

The Township of Macdonald, Meredith And Aberdeen Additional $941,685, an increase of $23,847

The Township of Prince $336,696, an increase of $4,452

The Township of Jocelyn $244,573, an increase of $3,625

The Township of Johnson $482,951, an increase of $5,422

The Municipality of Huron Shores $980,739, an increase of $14,504 The OMPF replaced the Community Reinvestment Fund in 2005 as the province's primary transfer payment to municipalities.

In 2006, it will provide funding to 391 municipalities - or 88 per cent of all municipalities in the province.

This program targets funding to social program and policing costs for small Northern and rural municipalities.

The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund is made up of four components:

• social programs grant to reduce the burden of social programs on the property tax base of small, rural and Northern communities

• an equalization grant to provide funding to municipalities with a limited tax assessment base

• a Northern and rural communities grant in recognition of their unique challenges

• a police services grant to provide funding to Northern and rural communities with higher policing costs

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