Province Invests Over $5 million Dollars in Oxford County

Friday, 29 March 2019 10:38

The County of Oxford and all 8 of it's lower tiers has received a one time cash infusion from the Province totallying over $5 million dollars.

OXFORD COUNTY - The Province of Ontario has announced a major one time investment for the County of Oxford.

Oxford and it's 8 lower tiers will receive funding from the Province to the tune of $5.15 million dollars. The County of Oxford will receive the highest total dollars at $725,000. Oxford County is one of 405 of province's small and rural municipalities that will receive the money. The Province did not give specific direction on how the funds should be used, so it will be up to each municipality.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark sent each of the municipalities a letter outlining the investment. In the release Clark says the money will help small and rural municipalities.

"Taxpayers need their local government to deliver modern, efficient services that show respect for their hard-earned dollars. This funding will help small and rural municipalities improve how they deliver services and reduce the ongoing costs of providing those services. I look forward to continuing to work together with our municipal partners to help people and businesses in communities across our province thrive."

The CAO for Oxford County Peter Crockett says they haven't actually received the money from the Province yet and they will take there time in deciding how to spend it.

"It was an unconditional one time payment as it was described and it was intended or it appears to be intended for investing in initiatives to improve service delivery, improve efficiency, improve operations and improve service delivery, so we need to give some thought on how to do that."

Crockett says they will start looking at different ways to use the money.

"When we get the money it will go into a reserve or an account so to speak, council directed that we sit down with all the other municipalities in our community and talk about potential opportunities, maybe there is a way, that we can leverage the overall investment to maximize future savings and what that might look like."

Crockett says they will lot's of dialogue with our municipal partners so we can find the best approach to use that one time payment.