Budget Spotlights 2025 Special: Who's in Charge of What?

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So, who’s in charge of what? The division of responsibilities for public services is shared among the municipal, provincial, and federal governments. Each level of government is responsible for different services, and the funding for these services often comes from a mix of municipal, provincial, and federal sources.

In Ontario, municipalities are further organized into a two-tier system consisting of upper-tier and lower-tier municipalities – meaning some residents have four levels of governments working together to improve our lives. In this special spotlight, we’ll take you through the responsibilities of each level of government, with specific examples related to Mississippi Mills (a lower-tier municipality) and Lanark County (an upper-tier municipality):

Lower-Tier Municipality (Mississippi Mills):

A lower-tier municipality like Mississippi Mills is responsible for services that are more localized, directly impacting the residents of that specific municipality. These responsibilities often include:

Local Roads: Maintenance and development of local roads, sidewalks, and other infrastructure within the municipality.
Recreation and Culture: Management of local parks, recreational facilities, libraries, and community centers.
Economic Development: local planning and actions related to development within the Municipality
Local Planning and Zoning: Implementation of zoning bylaws and local planning decisions that affect development within the municipality, in accordance with the broader regional plan set by the upper tier.
Fire and Protective Services: Operation of local fire departments and emergency services, though coordination may occur with neighboring municipalities and the upper tier. Delivery of local policing services through a contract with the OPP.
Building Permits and Inspections: Issuance of building permits and the conduct of inspections to ensure compliance with local and provincial building codes.
Waste Collection: Collection of residential waste and recycling, although final disposal might be managed by the upper-tier municipality. Management of local landfill sites.
Water and Sewer Services: Management of local water supply and sewage treatment facilities.
Local Bylaws Enforcement: Enforcement of municipal bylaws, including parking, noise, animal control, and other local regulations.
Child Care Services: delivery of local childcare and before and after school programs.

Funding: Primarily funded through property taxes, user fees, and grants from the provincial and federal governments.

Upper-Tier Municipality (Lanark County):

An upper-tier municipality, like Lanark County, provides services that benefit the entire region. These services are typically broader in scope and are often more complex, requiring coordination across multiple municipalities. Key responsibilities might include:

Regional Roads and Transportation: Maintenance and development of county roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure that serve multiple municipalities.
Social Services: Administration of social programs such as welfare, housing, and child care services that serve residents across the entire county.
Public Health: Delivery of public health services, including health inspections, immunizations, and health promotion, often through a regional health unit.
Emergency Services: Coordination of emergency planning and management, which may include certain aspects of fire services, paramedics, and disaster response on a County level.
Economic Development: Promotion of regional economic initiatives, tourism, and business development strategies that benefit all member municipalities.
Land Use Planning: Oversight of broader land use policies, including the development of Official Plans that guide growth and development in line with regional objectives.
Environmental Services: Management of regional environmental programs, and protection of natural resources.

Funding: Primarily funded through property taxes, user fees, and grants from the provincial and federal governments.

Collaboration Between Tiers:

There is often collaboration between upper and lower-tier municipalities to ensure that services are efficiently delivered. For instance, while Lanark County might handle the overall planning for road networks, Mississippi Mills would manage the maintenance of its local roads within that plan. Additionally, services like emergency management and economic development often require coordinated efforts between both tiers to be effective.

Provincial Government (Province of Ontario)

Primary Responsibilities:

Health Care: Hospitals, long-term care, and most health services.
Education: Primary, secondary, and post-secondary education (public schools, colleges, and universities).
Transportation: Provincial highways, regional transit systems (e.g., Metrolinx/GO Transit).
Social Services: Welfare, child protection, disability support (e.g., Ontario Works, ODSP).
Natural Resources and Environment: Environmental protection, natural resource management.
Justice: Provincial courts, legal aid, correctional facilities.
Public Safety: Policing standards, emergency management.

Funding: Funded through income taxes, sales taxes (HST), and transfers from the federal government.

Federal Government (Government of Canada):

Primary Responsibilities:

National Defense: Military, defense policy.
Immigration and Citizenship: Immigration services, border control.
Foreign Affairs: Diplomatic relations, international trade.
Indigenous Affairs: Services and programs for Indigenous communities.
Employment Insurance and Pensions: EI, CPP, and OAS.
National Transportation: Air and rail transportation, national transportation infrastructure.
Criminal Justice: Criminal law, federal prisons, RCMP.
Public Health and Safety: National public health (e.g., Health Canada), food safety, drug regulation.

Funding: Funded through income taxes, corporate taxes, and other federal revenues.

Percentage Estimates of Service Coverage:

Municipal Government: Roughly 15-25% of public services, primarily those related to local infrastructure, emergency services, and community programs.

Provincial Government: Approximately 50-60% of public services, with major responsibilities in health care, education, transportation, and social services.

Federal Government: Around 20-25% of public services, focusing on national defense, immigration, federal law enforcement, and social insurance programs.

Summary:

Municipalities manage local services and infrastructure, making up about 15-25% of public services.

The province of Ontario handles major public services like health care and education, covering about 50-60% of services.

The federal government focuses on national and international matters, providing about 20-25% of public services.

These percentages are approximate and can vary depending on the specific service or policy area being considered. The actual funding and responsibility often involve collaboration between all levels of government.

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