Puslinch Township is not going to receive as much money next year through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF).
Puslinch’s 2017 OMPF allocation is $370,200, which is the equivalent of 10% of the township’s municipal property tax revenue.
“That amount is down by $35,200 from what we received in 2016,” said Mayor Dennis Lever on Nov. 23.
A release to the township stated that while the province will maintain 2017 OMPF funding at $505 million, which will provide support to 388 municipalities across the province, it is adjusting allocations made to individual municipalities.
Lever noted there are a couple of municipalities within Wellington County that have seen increases to their OMPF allocations: Minto, Wellington North, Guelph-Eramosa and Mapleton.
Lever added Wellington County saw a decrease of $368,000 – “It was a significant decrease there.”
The estimated total benefit of the 2017 provincial uploads for the County of Wellington is $5,845,900, which is the equivalent of 5% of all municipal property tax revenue in the county.
Councillor John Sepulis questioned what that benefit was.
Lever explained some of that upload is through social services, therefore not all of the benefit goes to the county.
“In fact the majority of the benefit goes to the city of Guelph,” said Lever.
He said he anticipates a full report will come before Wellington County council.
“While the upload of costs has been fairly large over time, this one is not very big.”
Councillor Matthew Bulmer said one thing not discussed in this context is the Farm Tax Rebate.
“I remember back when this was something everyone across the province contributed to … now it is pretty much only the rural residents who subsidize food supply in the province,” said Bulmer. He asked what the impact might be on residents in Puslinch.
Lever said he did not remember the details, but believed the impact was significant. He said the county has made delegations to the province to have this situation reversed – and have the province take back the Farm Tax Credit Program.
He agreed rural residents are bearing the costs of the credit – and it is being distributed among the other tax classes locally.
Bulmer said it is a significant issue. “People in Mississauga and Toronto don’t contribute at all toward the production of food they eat.”
