Ontario’s municipalities are making the public more aware of their funding shortfalls.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario has launched a public awareness campaign in advance of an early provincial election entitled Vote Like Your Quality of Life Depends on It.

The goal is to make voters and political parties more aware of what municipalities need from the province to deliver a high quality of life to Ontarians.

President Robin Jones says it focuses on three key areas of need.

“They are investing in local infrastructure to build more homes, tackling the growing homelessness crisis and ensuring that property tax dollars go towards core municipal services instead of subsidizing underfunded provincial programs,” says Jones.

AMO notes that $5 billion in municipal property taxes is going to programs and services normally a provincial responsibility and are underfunded.

“If the province was not removing $5 billion a year from Ontario’s municipal budgets, municipalities would be in a much better position to deal with those services that people rely on,” says Brian Rosborough, AMO’s Chief Executive Officer.

AMO says it wants to hold all provincial parties and their candidates accountable.

The campaign will remain in place through to the next provincial election.