Ministry of Infrastructure
Norfolk County must rely heavily on debt financing to construct and rehabilitate essential infrastructure. This places significant pressure on property taxpayers and utility ratepayers while delaying critical projects.
Making enhanced OCIF funding permanent would give municipalities the certainty they need for capital planning. Predictable funding allows municipalities to prioritize infrastructure renewal rather than reacting to short-term funding opportunities.
Where we're at
Provincial funding criteria should recognize that municipalities are not simply "urban" or "rural." Norfolk County serves a population of approximately 70,000 across more than 1,600 square kilometres; current program eligibility often excludes Norfolk from both rural and urban funding streams.
Norfolk asks the Province
- Provide increased and long-term infrastructure funding for municipalities, including Norfolk County, through dedicated grant programs, cost-sharing opportunities, and targeted funding streams for priority capital projects
- Make the enhanced Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) funding levels permanent and commit to annual funding increases that reflect inflation, asset replacement costs, and municipal growth
- Ensure provincial infrastructure funding programs recognize the unique realities of municipalities that are both rural and urban. Eligibility criteria should better reflect communities like Norfolk County, which often fall between existing program definitions, too large to qualify for many rural funding opportunities, yet too small to meet urban eligibility thresholds
Norfolk is ready.
We can grow Ontario, together.