City staff say a Municipal Service Corporation could improve efficiency and support growing infrastructure needs.
The City of Kingston is exploring a major change in how water and wastewater services are delivered as the municipality prepares for significant population growth. City staff are considering the creation of a Municipal Service Corporation, or MSC, to manage the system and help address rising costs, aging infrastructure and increasing service demands.
Several Ontario municipalities have turned to MSCs as a way to improve efficiency and maintain essential infrastructure. Kingston CAO Lanie Hurdle says the city’s growing population and aging system are putting pressure on current financial and staffing resources. She notes that maintaining existing infrastructure while planning for new development has become increasingly costly.
An MSC would remain wholly owned by the city and operate under Ontario Regulation 599/06 of the Municipal Act. It would offer dedicated governance, more financial flexibility and potential new revenue opportunities while keeping public accountability in place.
Kingston Hydro already operates under a similar model, and officials say water and wastewater operations could follow that structure.
Story by Alyssa Brush
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