: Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF)

2021 OMPF

Overview

The OMPF is the Province’s main general assistance grant to municipalities.

The program primarily supports northern and rural municipalities across the province. Its objectives are to:

recognize the challenges of northern and rural municipalities, while targeting funding to those with more challenging fiscal circumstances;
support areas with limited property assessment; and
assist municipalities that are adjusting to year-over-year funding changes.

2021 OMPF

For 2021, the government is maintaining the overall structure of the OMPF and the program envelope at the same level as 2020.

The 2021 OMPF will provide a total of $500 million to 389 municipalities across the province.

The 2021 OMPF will also continue to be responsive to changing municipal circumstances through annual data updates and related adjustments.

In addition to ensuring stability, maintaining the program envelope will allow for a further $5 million in support to be targeted to northern and rural municipalities.

Specifically, the Rural Communities Grant component will be increased to $152 million to further support rural municipalities with the highest levels of farmland, and the Northern and Rural Fiscal Circumstances Grant component will be increased to $92 million to further support northern and rural municipalities with the most challenging fiscal circumstances.

The remaining core grant components will provide the same level of support as in 2020.

Grant Component	2020 OMPF ($ Millions)	2021 OMPF ($ Millions)
Assessment Equalization	149	149
Northern Communities	89	89
Rural Communities	150	152
Northern and Rural Fiscal Circumstances	89	92
Transitional Assistance	23	18
Total	500	500

Consistent with prior years, Transitional Assistance will continue to ensure that municipalities in northern Ontario receive at least 90 per cent of their 2020 OMPF allocation, and municipalities in southern Ontario receive at least 85 per cent.

2021 Minimum Levels of Support
(Per Cent of 2020 OMPF Allocation)
Northern Ontario	90%
Southern Ontario	85%

Municipalities in all regions of the province with the most challenging fiscal circumstances will continue to have their funding enhanced up to 100 per cent of the prior year’s allocation.