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)

 

Published date: 
April 15, 2025