PEI Municipal Funding Framework
What is the PEI Municipal Funding Framework?
The PEI Municipal Funding Framework is a provincial funding program for municipalities. The framework will be implemented over 2 years, beginning April 1, 2025. Pending completion of the Municipal Government Act review and the Statistics Canada 2026 Population Census data release, the funding arrangement will be re-evaluated.
The 2025-2027 framework is similar to the previous MOU funding agreement. This replaces the 2017-18 MOU on municipal funding which expired in 2023. Each municipality will be offered a funding agreement for signature.
What are the components of the PEI Municipal Funding Framework?
Provincial funding is distributed to municipalities through four components:
1. Tax Credits (based in the Real Tax Property Tax Act regulations)
- Service tax credits are determined by multiplying tax credit rates by municipal non-commercial taxable property tax assessment.
- The new framework:
- Increases the Base Credit in years 1 & 2 for towns and cities
- Doubles the Planning Credit in year 1,
- Police Credit and Streets Credit continue at existing rates
- New tax credit rates are outlined in the chart below:
Year | Streets | Police | Planning | Base | |||||
Town | City | Municipal | RCMP | Three Rivers | Planning | Planning & Inspection | Town | City | |
2024/25 | 0.190 | 0.291 | 0.210 | 0.078 | 0.017 | 0.012 | 0.017 | 0.044 | 0.073 |
2025/26 | 0.190 | 0.291 | 0.210 | 0.078 | 0.017 | 0.024 | 0.034 | 0.059 | 0.097 |
2026/27 | 0.190 | 0.291 | 0.210 | 0.078 | 0.017 | 0.024 | 0.034 | 0.070 | 0.115 |
2. Equalization Grant
- Equalization is a formula-based calculation that increases with annual assessment growth.
- Under the new framework there will be no change to the current formula for the next 2 years but changes may come after the next Statistics Canada 2026 Census of Population data release.
- There is a 7.59% growth in equalization payments in 2025-26 due to increased assessment values.
3. Municipal Capital Expenditure Grant (MCEG)
- MCEG is an application-based funding program for 10% of capital expenditure run by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. As part of the new framework, the program will be reviewed.
4. Grants
- The purpose of the grants is funding to meet new commitments.
- The new framework provides four grants to eligible municipalities:
- Rural Municipality Grant (NEW) - provides $15,000 for each rural municipality
- Land Use Planning Grant (NEW) - tops up the Planning Credit to ensure every municipality that provides land use planning services receives a minimum of $25,000 in funding.
- Police Grant - existing funding for cities, other policing programs continue to be administered by Justice and Public Safety
- Hospital Grant - provided to municipalities with a hospital
What other funding is available to municipalities?
Municipalities are eligible for other provincial funding under programs such as
• Active Transportation Fund
• Rural Growth Initiative
• Municipal Infrastructure Fund
• Community Grant for the Retention of Health Professionals
• Seniors' Secretariat Grant
• Community Leadership Program
• Student Summer Employment Programs
• Special Projects Program
• Reception Centre Resiliency Fund
• Climate Challenge Fund
• Community Renewable Energy Generation Fund
Municipalities are also eligible for federal infrastructure programs such as
• Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF)
• Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) (link is external)
• Active Transportation Fund (link is external)
• Green Municipal Fund (link is external)
• Canada Building Communities through Arts and Heritage (link is external)