The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is a publicly funded organization; as such the WECHU has a responsibility to spend funds prudently with the objective of providing public health programs and services as required by the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) and the Ontario Public Health Standards: Requirements for Programs, Services, and Accountability (OPHS).
The WECHU receives funding in the following manner:
- The Province of Ontario has committed to providing local public health units with an annual one per cent funding increase over the next three years starting 2024. The province has also announced that it will restore annual base funding for public health units to the level previously provided under the 75/25 provincial/municipal cost-share ratio in 2024.
- The Ministry of Health (MOH) will therefore grant the WECHU annual funding to a maximum of 75% of admissible expenditures for local health protection and promotion programs, with the Corporation of the City of Windsor, the Corporation of the County of Essex, and the Corporation of the Township of Pelee (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Obligated Municipalities”) required to contribute a minimum of 25% of admissible expenditures.
- In addition to base funding, historically the Ministry of Health (MOH) annually provides grants and one-time funding for programs that address emerging areas at a rate of 100% of admissible expenditures. Past examples include: Public Health Inspector Practicum Support and COVID-19 response (case/contact management and vaccination). One time funding submissions will not be permitted in 2024 with the ASP submission, with the exception of funds to support merger planning or activities.
- The Province of Ontario, more specifically the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), provides annual grants to fund the Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program Initiative at a rate of 100% of admissible expenditures. However, funding for this initiative has been frozen at 2021 levels with no increase allowed for 2024.
On an annual basis, the WECHU prepares its operating budgets for review and approval by the Board of Health (BOH). The budget then becomes the foundation for the Annual Service Plan and Budget Submissions to the MOH and MCCSS. Quarterly, a budget-to-actual variance analysis is prepared for the BOH to supplement the quarterly reporting requirements to both the MOH and MCCSS.