Municipal Government in Ontario - Government - About Ontario (Government of Ontario, Canada)

Government

Municipal Government in Ontario

In southern Ontario there are three different types of municipal government structures: regions, counties and single-tier municipalities. The regional level has more servicing responsibilities than a county. While there are variations from one region to another, services usually provided by regions include: arterial roads; transit; policing; sewer and water systems; waste disposal; region-wide land use planning and development; as well as health and social services.

The municipalities within regions are generally responsible for local roads, fire protection, garbage collection, recreation and local land use planning needs. All municipalities in a region participate in the regional system. New arrangements with designated municipalities, or Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs), will manage a range of health and social services, including the core services of social housing, social assistance and childcare. Optional services would include land ambulances and public health. The CMSMs in most cases will correspond to regional and county governments in southern Ontario, with a somewhat different structure in the North (known as District Social Services Administration Boards).

Counties exist only in southern Ontario. Local municipalities (cities, towns, villages, townships) within counties provide the majority of municipal services to their residents. The services provided by county governments are usually limited to arterial roads, health and social services and county land use planning. Local municipalities in counties raise taxes for their own purposes, as well as for the county and school board purposes.

Single-tier municipalities exist across Ontario. They include separated municipalities that are geographically located within a county but are not part of the county for the municipal purposes. Single-tier municipalities also include all northern municipalities where there is no upper-tier governance at the District level. Finally single-tier municipalities include those former county or regional municipalities that have recently been amalgamated into single-tier municipality. Single-tier municipalities have responsibilities for all local services to their residents.

In northern Ontario the more populated areas are incorporated into single-tier cities, towns, villages and townships. Some services in a limited number of unincorporated areas are provided by local service boards and local roads boards which are funded by the province, with a range of "social services" being delivered by DSSABs (District Social Service Area Boards).

In addition, the Northern Services Improvement Act (Ministry of Northern Development and Mines) permits DSSABs (or other group of communities) to become Area Service Boards (ASBs) on a voluntary basis to deliver a more comprehensive set of services. The core services for an ASB include social assistance, childcare, social housing, land ambulances, public health, and municipal homes for the aged. ASBs may also provide optional services, including roads and bridges, waste management, police services, land use planning, airports, provincial offenses, economic development, as well as other services as designated by the Minister.

Across northern Ontario there are also Planning Boards. These bodies provide advice and assistance on land use planning matters, exercise certain powers under the Planning Act, as well as planning powers which have been delegated by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Planning Boards may consist of entirely unincorporated territory, or a combination of Municipalities and unincorporated territory, or a group of municipalities. The Minister appoints members to these Boards, to represent the unincorporated areas. The remaining Planning Boards are administratively organized and the minister does not appoint members or exercise administrative control.

Interesting Web sites

For a list of Municipal websites in Ontario you can visit the Association of Municipalities in Ontario site
You can visit a website for information about local governments in Ontario as part of the Association of Municipalities in Ontario site.

LEARN MORE

Did you know?