Municipalities may get some of any future Ontario surplus, as the provincial government introduces the Investing in Ontario Act next week.

“Certainly municipalities were badly injured under the (Mike) Harris and (Ernie) Eves administrations. There was downloading. It was a very dismal era,” said Barrie MPP Aileen Carroll, who also serves in the provincial cabinet as culture minister.

“We’re recognizing (municipalities’) needs are great.”

Now required to use all year-end surpluses to reduce the debt, the province is proposing legislation would direct a portion of the cash to municipalities to reinvest in programs such as roads and bridges, expanding public transit and upgrading social housing.

“This will reflect what the municipality’s priorities are. Certainly, I’m cognizant of the need for affordable housing and infrastructure. It’s for the municipalities to decide where to put this new source of money,” Carroll added.

Barrie’s infrastructure and development general manager Richard Forward said any provincial surplus cash would make an incredible difference for municipalities, especially growing ones like Barrie.

“The city has a number of large-scale infrastructure works including the expansion of the wastewater plant, construction of a new surface water treatment plant and interchange upgrades on Highway 400 that require a significant financial investment,” he said.

“The funding from the province will help with our capital planning strategy to enhance and improve Barrie’s infrastructure.”

Ontario already invests $300 million in the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative, and recently announced it would add another $150 million to the program.

Ontario’s 2007 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review included an additional $1.4 billion for strategic infrastructure.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan added the extra cash will not only improve transportation and quality of life in Ontario, but it will create construction jobs in the short term.