More funding for municipalities to address COVID-19-related operating costs

Markhamreview.com
March 8, 2021

The Ontario government is providing $31,474,969 to help the Regional Municipality of York, the City of Markham and the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville address ongoing COVID-19-related operating costs.

The new financial relief will help ensure the delivery of critical services during the pandemic and keep capital projects on track.

Allocation of regional funding is as follows: The Regional Municipality of York -- $21,129,902; City of Markham -- $8,994,111; and Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville -- $1,350,956.

“This announcement of $8,994,111 for Markham and $1,350,956 for Whitchurch-Stouffville will come as very good news for our municipal governments as they work to budget for new and unexpected expenses related to COVID-19,” said Paul Calandra, MPP for Markham-Stouffville.

This announcement is part of the province’s $500 million investment to help ensure the stability of Ontario’s 444 municipalities as they plan for the year ahead. The funding is being prioritized to help municipalities hardest hit by the pandemic and can be used for things like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and by-law enforcement.

“Strong communities are the foundation of a strong Ontario. Through this provincial funding of $21,129,902 for York Region and $8,994,111 for the City of Markham, it will help them continue to deliver critical services and keep capital projects on track,” said Billy Pang, MPP for Markham-Unionville.

This provincial investment builds on the $1.39 billion in operating funding that was provided to municipal partners through the joint federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement. The second phase of the Safe Restart Agreement was allocated to all Ontario municipalities in December, to ensure that no community entered 2021 facing an operating deficit from 2020.

“Municipalities are important partners in the fight against COVID-19,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said.. “We know the global pandemic has created significant financial challenges for communities across the province. That’s why we have been there with support from the very beginning. I encourage our federal partners to step forward with additional investments as all three governments work together to protect people’s health and jobs.”

The government will provide its next update on Ontario’s finances and the government’s plan to continue the fight against COVID-19 in the 2021 Budget, to be delivered no later than March 31, 2021. The 2021 Budget will build on the $45 billion in support set out in Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover to continue protecting people’s health and supporting Ontario’s economy through COVID-19 and beyond.