TOWNS, TOWNSHIPS GET $4.1 MILLION FROM PROVINCE FOR COVID COSTS

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — While small businesses and individuals struggle with COVID, the province is providing more than $4.1 million to help municipalities across Parry Sound-Muskoka deal with pandemic-related operating costs.

The money isn’t meant to hand out individually to residents or businesses.

They say in a release this afternoon that the “new financial relief” will help ensure the delivery of critical services during the pandemic and keep capital projects on track.

It is part of the province’s $500 million investment to help ensure the stability of Ontario’s 444 municipalities as they plan for the year ahead.

The funding is being prioritized to help municipalities in health units with the highest COVID-19 case numbers and can be used for things like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and by-law enforcement.

“Our municipalities have been clear that they need ongoing operating funding in 2021,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The release says the money is in addition to the $1.39 billion in operating funding municipalities already get through the joint federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement.

The second phase of the Safe Restart Agreement was allocated to all Ontario municipalities in December, to ensure that no community entered 2021 facing an operating deficit from 2020.

In Parry Sound-Muskoka the following municipalities are receiving the following amounts totaling $4,175,384:

Armour Township $43,033
Bracebridge $353,594
Burk’s Falls $26,662
Carling $54,275
Georgian Bay Township $223,522
Gravenhurst $334,317
Huntsville $423,324
Joly Township $21,234
Kearney $43,404
Lake of Bays $191,844
Machar Township $24.902
Magnetawan $62,725
McDougall $59,303
McKellar $50,859
McMurrich/Monteith $33,812
Muskoka $1,280,480
Muskoka Lakes $394,119
Parry Sound $95,557
Perry $52,625
Ryerson $28,733
Seguin $152,921
South River $26,597
Strong $36,734
Sundridge $26,161
The Archipelago $101,251
Whitestone $58,273

Municipalities will get the funding in two equal instalments on or before May 1 and Nov. 1, 2021.

Towns and townships across Parry Sound-Muskoka will get two payments in May and November. They are in addition to joint funding all Ontario municipalities also get via the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement.

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