From August 18 to 20, a delegation from Dufferin County participated in the 2025 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Annual General Meeting and Conference. Members of County Council and County officials met with government ministers and officials and municipal leaders from across the province to work together to advance Dufferin’s priorities.

Priorities discussed included:

• Enhancing safety for all road users with a multi-pronged, collaborative approach. Highway 10 is of significant concern in Dufferin County.
• Preventing and reducing homelessness. Dufferin County is eager to collaborate with the Province and other partners to advance common goals and make things better for Dufferin residents, including those most vulnerable in the community. Dufferin County needs more housing, including rentals, non-market and supportive units.

Approaching 2051, Dufferin is projected to grow by 59.5 per cent. The county is one of the fastest growing regions in Ontario and will have rapidly changing needs and operational demands. Dufferin County is committed to ongoing collaboration and partnership with its government partners to increase affordable and attainable housing options and ensure that programs, services and infrastructure align with changing community needs.

Dufferin County Council approved the organization’s first Government Relations Strategy and Action Plan for 2025 to 2026 in May of this year. Policy and funding decisions from other levels of government can have a significant impact on Dufferin County and other municipalities. Building relationships with other levels of government increases the ability to influence policy decisions and request support for local priorities.

County priorities for government relations activity from 2025 to 2026 include:

• Homelessness prevention – working to ensure vulnerable Dufferin residents have
• access to housing and health care
• Municipal funding model and infrastructure to support growth and economic prosperity county-wide
• Road safety – enhancing the safety of roads in Dufferin County while ensuring efficient movement of goods and people to support the economy

The County’s Government Relations Strategy and Action Plan can be found here.

These priorities are aligned with the County’s Strategic Plan 2023 to 2026. The County’s vision under its Strategic Plan is to be a community that grows together.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Ball, Manager of Communications
mball@dufferincounty.ca