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York-Simcoe mayors ‘excited’ over new provincial funding

Ford government handing out the boost 'to reverse the decline of small municipalities and rural Ontario,' MPP says

The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury will wait until the regional governance review is over before deciding what to do with $535,004 in new provincial funding, said Mayor Rob Keffer.

The money, allocated to small, rural Ontario communities, was revealed late last month by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, who initiated the governance review.

On Friday, York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney gathered mayors from Bradford, Georgina and East Gwillimbury at her Holland Landing office to formally announce the funding for all three municipalities.

“Our government was elected to reverse the decline of small municipalities and rural Ontario. Through the funding … we are supporting growth in our communities and improving frontline services,” she said.

“The purpose of this funding is to ensure that smaller and rural municipalities are able to deliver modern, efficient services that show respect for people’s hard-earned tax dollars.”

In conjunction with Simcoe County, Bradford, Georgina and East Gwillimbury will receive more than $2 million through the new funding, she said.

This is the local breakdown: 

  • Bradford West Gwillimbury: $535,004
  • East Gwillimbury: $725,000
  • Georgina: $283,088

The amounts are based on the number of households in each community and whether they are rural or urban.

Keffer said the town is “really thrilled with this announcement” but will wait until the governance review is complete in case it can use some of the funding then.

The town took a step forward Tuesday evening at a committee of the whole meeting, when councillors voted in favour of looking into becoming a separated city throughout the governance review.

A public meeting on the issue will be held April 15, and council must ratify the committee’s decision to make it official.

The new funding will help the town look into the future and be at the forefront of attracting businesses and creating jobs, Keffer said.

Georgina Mayor Margaret Quirk said her municipality recently underwent a service delivery review and will add the funding to its 2020 budget.

“We’re very thankful and grateful for the additional money,” she said.

East Gwillimbury Mayor Virginia Hackson said the more than $700,000 for her town “makes a huge difference.”

“We are rural, and we are small,” she said. “It can make tremendous difference in modernizing a lot of our opportunities that we have. We can use this to leverage other projects that are going on.”

She said the town will take the funding to its budget committee to see how quickly it can be used.

“There’s several projects we’re very strong in moving forward” related to IT and employment, Hackson said. “(The funding is) substantial. We can do a lot of good work for the community. We’re excited.”


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Jenni Dunning

About the Author: Jenni Dunning

Jenni Dunning is a community editor and reporter who covers news in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury.
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