Duane Hicks
Fort Frances will receive nearly $3.24 million from the province in 2012 under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF).
This is an increase of $23,600 over 2011.
The OMPF allocation notice also indicates $517,000 resulting from provincial uploads, although town treasurer Laurie Witherspoon said this is “not of direct benefit to the town” because the uploaded dollars are rolled into the Rainy River District Social Service Administration Board’s budget, not the town’s.
This issue has been brought up by town council in recent years—and has yet to be resolved.
However, some good news is the province has commenced the uploading of court security and prisoner transportation costs this year, and the town is expecting to see a direct benefit of $4,800 from that.
Court security and prisoner transportation is covered under the OPP policing contract, not DSSAB.
The province puts out allocation notices to municipalities each year to alert them to how much money they will be
getting.
The OMPF, which replaced the Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF) in 2005, is the province’s main transfer payment to municipalities.
According to the province, its objectives are to:
•assist municipalities with their social program costs;
•support areas with limited property assessment;
•address challenges faced by northern and rural communities; and
•respond to policing costs in rural communities.
The allocation also includes funds for uploaded programs, which the province is taking back on after previously downloading them to the municipalities to pay for.
In 2012, the province has said it will continue the phased upload of Ontario Works (OW) benefit costs as well as begin to phase in the upload of court security and prisoner transportation costs, as mentioned above.
This builds on our previous uploads of Ontario Drug Benefits (ODB) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
In addition, the province has uploaded more than $170 million in support of municipal OW administration costs.
These uploads have ensured that more property tax dollars are available for important municipal priorities, including investments in infrastructure and economic development, according to the province.
The $517, 000 in provincial uploads breaks down as follows:
•Ontario Drug Benefits—$60,400;
•Ontario Disability Support Program (administration component)—$52,400;
•Ontario Disability Support Program (benefits component)—$357,500;
•Ontario Works (benefits component)— $17,800;
•Ontario Works (administration component)—$24,100; and
•Court security and prisoner transportation— $4,800.
The province has said it will provide more than $1.8 billion to municipalities in 2012 through the combined benefit of OMPF and provincial uploads.
The OMPF will total $583 million this year.
Combined with the $1.2 billion in provincial uploads, this is almost three times the level of funding provided under the previous program.
In addition, the province has said it will provide $15 million in transitional assistance to municipalities to ensure a guaranteed level of support for 2012.
