Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff is calling on the Ontario government to remove what he says is an unfair provincial cap that limits the community’s access to infrastructure funding.
Canniff said the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) program was created to support small and rural municipalities with roads, bridges and water system upgrades, but the $10-million cap applied to Chatham-Kent and two other municipalities leaves large single-tier communities at a disadvantage.
He said Chatham-Kent should receive $29.3 million under the province’s own funding formula. Instead, the cap reduces that amount by $19.3 million, forcing local taxpayers to absorb more of the cost of maintaining extensive infrastructure.
Canniff noted neighbouring counties and towns receive funding amounts above the $10-million threshold and said removing the cap would help ease future tax pressures while supporting growth.
He said the province has been supportive in recent years through the Building Faster Fund and investments tied to Wheatley’s recovery, and he remains optimistic ongoing discussions will lead to change.
“This is not a request for special treatment; it’s a call for fairness,” Canniff said, adding he believes the province will act to ensure Chatham-Kent receives the funding he says residents deserve.
Budget deliberations begin this week for Chatham-Kent, with meeting set to start Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at the Civic Centre in Chatham.
