1. 2020 Budget
  2. Background

Background

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, more specifically the Ministry of Health, annually grants the WECHU funding to a maximum of 70% of admissible expenditures for its mandatory and certain related health protection and promotion programs. In addition, the WECHU receives required contributions from 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) at a minimum of 30% of admissible expenditures. Previously, the Ministry of Health funded the mandatory program to a maximum of 75% of admissible expenditures (required contributions from the Obligated Municipalities were a minimum of 25%) and the related health protection and promotion programs at a rate of 100% of admissible expenditures.
  • The Ministry of Health annually provides grants for certain related health protection and promotion programs at a rate of 100% of admissible expenditures. More specifically this includes the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program and the AMOH/MOH Compensation Initiative.
  • 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 and the Nurse Practitioner Program Initiative at a rate of 100% of admissible expenditures.

On an annual basis, the WECHU prepares its operating budgets for review and approval by its Board. The budget approval then becomes the foundation for the Annual Service Plan and Budget Submissions to the Ministry of Health and the MCCSS. The due date for the 2020 Annual Service Plan and Budget Submission to the Ministry of Health is March 1, 2020. The due date for the Budget Submission to the MCCSS for the Budget Submission included in this document was September 13, 2019.

A quarterly budget to actual variance analysis is prepared for the Board to supplement the quarterly reporting requirements to both the Ministry of Health and the MCCSS.