WELLINGTON COUNTY – The Ontario government announced on Sept. 19 the county and its seven lower tier municipalities will be receiving close to $9 million in combined infrastructure funding.
The tax dollars are sourced from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF).
According to Wellington -Halton Hills MPP Joseph Racinsky’s office, Centre Wellington will receive $1.94 million, Guelph/Eramosa $508,000 and Puslinch and Erin $303,000 each.
Other county municipalities to receive funding include:
- Minto, $1.36 million;
- Wellington North, $1.28 million; and
- Mapleton, $1.18 million.
The county is to receive the most funding at $2.11 million.
OCIF funding as provided by the Ministry of Infrastructure.
“We continue to support our small and rural municipalities to build and maintain critical infrastructure,” Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae said in a press release.
“Our rural communities are getting shovels in the ground on important infrastructure projects, and our provincial government will be there to support their future growth and prosperity.”
The province will allocate $400 million next year in OCIF funding to help 423 small, rural and northern communities address critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water and wastewater systems.
The minimum grant amount for municipalities will increase to $125,000 from $100,000.
Funding allocations are based on a formula that accounts for the different needs and economic conditions of each community. Communities may accumulate funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.
OCIF provides tax dollars for local infrastructure projects in municipalities with populations under 100,000, rural and northern municipalities, and service boards owning water/wastewater systems.
Since 2018, $2.8 billion has been allocated, $103 million of which has come directly to Perth-Wellington.
