The province has announced the 2022 funding for its main general assistance grant for municipalities.
In 2022, Timmins will receive $10.49 million through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF), which works out to $533 per household. In 2021, the city received $10.5 million, which was $545 per household.
OMPF cash is unconditional, meaning municipalities can use it to support local priorities and community-specific needs.
The city's portion for 2022 includes $4,612,300 for the assessment equalization grant component, $4,705,000 for the northern communities grant and $1,181,200 for the northern and rural fiscal circumstances grant.
For small and rural communities, Associations of Municipalities of Ontario president Graydon Smith said the early roll out of OMPF helps with budget planning.
"Our government recognizes the importance of the OMPF to communities across the province, and we’ve heard loud and clear what our municipal partners are looking for,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance, in a news release. “We are committed to making sure the OMPF continues to meet the needs of local communities, by providing stable financial support that they can count on.”
According to the province, it's been consulting with municipalities on their OMPF priorities. For 2022, the program's envelope was maintained at $500 million for 389 communities.
