Huron County councillors are hoping a meeting with the provincial finance minister this spring can resolve some of their concerns over the flow of funding from the province to the county and the lower-tier municipalities.
County CAO Brenda Orchard explains the discussion was triggered by cuts in the Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding over the last few years.
The province maintains the combination of up-loading to the province and down-loading to the municipalities results in a net gain to the municipalities, but Orchard says that's not what's actually happening.
The county has been working with the lower-tier staff as well as a tax consultant to gather information.
They will present a notice of their intention at the ROMA Conference in February and will ask for a meeting with the finance minister later this spring.
Orchard points out their presentation will involve very complicated calculations and it would be difficult to make an effective case in fifteen minutes.
She adds at the ROMA Conference, provincial officials listen to several 15-minute presentations throughout the day, so a private meeting with the finance minister is likely to have more impact.
