2024 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission

MFOA has submitted comments as part of the Ontario 2024 pre-budget consultations. MFOA’s recommendations focus on the importance of the provincial-municipal partnership; a partnership that recognizes municipalities as the main driver of essential services and subject matter experts on how to improve efficiencies and operations to benefit citizens and businesses.

Our recommendations are as follows:

1. Commit to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s Call to Action for a Social and Economic Prosperity Review
2. Commit continued funding to support ongoing efforts to provide mental health services and combat homelessness through supports and more shelter beds 
3. Commit funding to make municipalities “whole” with respect to Bill 23 in 2024 and commit to ongoing consultation with municipalities to ensure they have the funds required to build the infrastructure required to increase housing supply
4. Increase OMPF to $590 million and commit to indexing government transfers going forward
5. Expand revenue tools available to the City of Toronto to all other municipalities and launch a review of municipal revenue options
6. Complete the Property Tax and Assessment System Review in 2024 and commence the next assessment cycle as soon as possible
7. Commit to meaningful consultation with municipalities and stakeholders on issues that impact municipal finances. Work closely with municipalities to learn “on the ground lessons” to successfully plan for the challenges ahead