Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker has announced additional funding for his region through the Safe Restart Agreement.
Municipalities in the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound region will be splitting an additional sum of $2,972,000 in Safe Restart Agreement funding, which will go toward offsetting the costs of critical services. The funding will also help ensure that the municipalities do not bring an operating deficit into next year due to challenges related to COVID-19. The Ontario government is allocating an additional 695 million dollars across the province to provide financial relief for municipalities and help ensure they do not carry operating deficits into 2021.
The funding breakdown for municipalities in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound is as follows:
Arran-Elderslie: $37,000
Bruce County: $500,000
Chatsworth: $38,000
Georgian Bluffs: $64,000
Grey Highlands: $67,000
Grey County: $619,000
Hanover: $985,000 in application based funding, $45,000 2021 funding, total: $1,030,000
Meaford: $71,000
Northern Bruce Peninsula: $64,000
Owen Sound: $157,000 in application funding, $125,000 in 2021 funding, total: $282,000
Southgate: $39,000
South Bruce Peninsula: $89,000
West Grey: $72,000
“This funding will provide our local communities with the support they need to continue delivering critical services that we all rely on every day,” says Walker. “Today’s announcement will help our Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound municipalities develop a 2021 budget that reflects the reality of COVID-19 and give them the confidence they need to proceed with capital projects that will drive economic growth.”“This joint funding will help Ontario’s municipalities recover from the impacts of COVID-19 faster, by helping them to enter into 2021 without operating deficits from this year,” says Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “By ensuring our municipal partners are in a sound financial position to begin the New Year, they can better focus on keeping their capital projects on track while continuing to provide the critical services their residents rely on.”