2024 mid-term progress report
Strategic Priority: Infrastructure management
Indicators:
Interim Report: where we are and where we are headed
Funding secured from outside sources
- $32 million (2024)
Why this matters?
Securing external funding opportunities such as grants and sponsorships helps municipalities bridge the gap between their financial limitations and the growing needs of their communities. This allows municipalities to undertake projects that would not be possible due to municipal funding constraints. Securing grant funding requires dedication and diligent efforts of staff to identify, apply for, secure and report on funding received from multiple sources.
What does this mean?
The Town has secured $32 million in funding in this Council term so far, with additional opportunities underway.
Asset condition
- 69% of Town assets are fair or better condition
Why this matters?
Aside from the regulatory requirement, monitoring asset condition is a best practice for managing Town resources. Ensuring assets are in good condition helps maintain public safety, reduce environmental impact of operations and extend the lifespan of critical infrastructure. Monitoring asset conditions provides valuable data that can inform better decision-making and resource allocation.
What does this mean?
Despite a significant infrastructure funding gap, this result means that we have time to adjust our asset reinvestment strategies to ensure that the Town is positioned to replace our assets as needed.
Infrastructure funding
-
Current infrastructure levy 2.7%, as per approved budget
Why this matters?
The Town currently has an asset portfolio worth $584 million, and we reinvest in our capital infrastructure at a rate of approximately 1.3% annually to replace and renew these assets. This creates an annual capital infrastructure funding deficit of $9.6 million when compared to our estimated replacement needs (Target reinvestment rate is 3% annually). The infrastructure levy helps to ensure adequate funding is available as infrastructure replacement needs arise.
What does this mean?
The infrastructure levy included in the 2024 approved budget is 2.7% of the tax rate and represents $730K in funding for infrastructure annually. To achieve the target reinvestment rate of 3% (i.e. close the infrastructure gap), we would need to continue to annually increase tax support by 3%.
Interim Report
Where we are and where we are headed
Properly maintained infrastructure, including roads, water systems, and public facilities, reduces the risk of service disruptions, minimizes repair costs, and promotes sustainability. By prioritizing infrastructure management through sound financial strategies, municipalities can create safer, more resilient communities and attract investment, fostering long-term prosperity.
The Town completed an Asset Management plan in accordance with new provincial regulations in 2024. This plan includes an analysis of the asset portfolio and financial strategy to meet the needs of the existing infrastructure. This assessment rated 69% of our assets in fair or better condition. A number of infrastructure projects were completed in 2023 and 2024, including the Queen Street Reconstruction and Midland Point Road, as well as various sections of sidewalks throughout Town.
Midland won a prestigious Peter J Marshall Municipal Innovation Award in 2024 for using artificial intelligence (AI) to inform our asset management activities in our water and wastewater infrastructure. The application of AI to our environmental services data to identify patterns, recognize trends and prioritize actions is designed to optimize our maintenance activities and extend the lifespan of this critical infrastructure. This success is being used to drive other AI-enabled projects, such as automated asset management planning, prioritized reconstruction planning, and combined sewer projects.
In 2024, the Town began preparations to update various Master Plans for our community. These master plans are comprehensive and long-term visioning tools for understanding and prioritizing services, guiding growth, and directing investment and resourcing to align with community goals, values and needs. In 2025 the Town will update our Official Plan, as well as a number of master plans.
The Town was successful in the first half of the Council term in securing $32 million in grant funding and support from other levels of government. This funding represents projects to improve water operations and add services for 3,000 new homes, upgrade the Little Lake Park Stage, design costs to upgrade changerooms at the North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre and the replacement of a transit vehicle. Significant projects like these would not be possible for smaller municipalities like Midland without the support of grants, funding agencies and other levels of government.