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Where Do Your Municipal Tax Dollars Go? Let’s Talk About ACED
Have you ever looked at your municipality’s annual budget? They can be confusing documents but they also offer valuable insight into where your tax dollars are going — whether it’s roads, waste management, public works or economic development.
Usually, you can find your local budget on the municipal website under the “Financials” section. If you’ve browsed through it, you may have noticed a line for ACED which is short for Almaguin Community Economic Development.
So what is ACED and why is your municipality spending money on it?
ACED was established in 2019 through the merger of two previous organizations: BACED and CAEDA. The goal was to streamline economic and community development efforts across the Almaguin Highlands and eliminate duplication between municipalities. Since then, each participating municipality has contributed annually to support regional economic promotion and development.
In addition to its core mandate, ACED manages the Explore Almaguin social media channels, promoting the region’s attractions, events and local businesses year-round. It partners with the Almaguin Highlands Chamber of Commerce and acts as a key link to agencies that support business growth, tourism and community development, which include the Business Supports listed here. These organizations have different focus areas, but they each help connect local entrepreneurs and municipalities with funding, training and/or labour market research.
What Does This Mean for Your Tax Bill?
Let’s break it down by municipality using the 2024 tax levies and each area's ACED contribution. We’ll also show how much of your own tax bill is going toward ACED, based on different payment levels:
Cost Share Method
Originally, ACED was formed with a $10,000 contribution from each participating municipality. That amount was based on previous contributions to BACED and CAEDA, with the understanding that ACED would also receive support from FedNor — the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.
ACED went on to receive funding from FedNor’s CIINO (Community Investment Initiative for Northern Ontario) program not once but twice, according to Dave Gray, who currently serves as both the Director of Economic Development for ACED and the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Township of Armour.
Gray said the funding model eventually shifted to a $10,000 base contribution plus a one-third model — dividing the remaining costs by assessment, population and number of households — to reflect rising costs and a gradual move toward independence from FedNor funding. The model was inspired by a similar approach used by the Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board.
“Two major factors led to the need to introduce the one-third assessment, one-third population, one-third households model in addition to the base share,” said Gray. “Rising costs associated with taking on more ambitious projects … and the need to ‘wean off’ of FedNor funding eventually.”
ACED’s work goes beyond just business attraction and tourism. The organization also supports regional efforts tied to housing, healthcare, workforce development, quality of life and infrastructure; challenges identified in the 2018 Almaguin Highlands Regional Economic Development Strategic Plan.
Why It Matters
For Township of Strong’s Mayor, Tim Bryson, investing in economic development is an easy sell.
“As a municipality we provide core services and we don’t have the capacity to do economic development,” said Bryson. He noted that ACED covers a wide range of priorities — from healthcare and housing initiatives to branding Almaguin as a tourism destination.
“What’s the name Muskoka worth?” he asked. “If we could make the name Almaguin worth as much as Muskoka, we’d be doing really well … we need to add value to our communities.”
Based on an estimated individual tax rate, you would be spending approximately $65 a year per household to help support tourism, business and community development in your municipality.
For the cost of a Big Mac, or single meal out with the family, you are helping support the communities you live in, shop in and want to see thrive.
According to the Township of Armour's Mayor, Rod Ward, community and economic development are fundamental to the region.
"There’s a tendency to think this is just about attracting businesses to a particular location, but it’s so much more than that," said Ward, adding that in order to attract and keep individuals, families, businesses and other organizations, Almaguin needs to be able to demonstrate it has the features people are looking for.
This is everything from community services to community identity to housing, he said, the region needs a core team that are continually shining a light on these important areas.
"The region and the identity of the Almaguin Highlands does not exist if we don't have a shared vision," said Ward. "Economic and community development, housing and land-use planning, regional healthcare supports and long-term vision are fundamental to our future."
"These are all things that are difficult to quantify but absolutely critical to our success."
The Bottom Line
While “economic development” might feel like an abstract line item, your individual contribution to ACED is relatively modest, ranging from about $20 to $150 per year depending on where you live and the size of your property tax bill.
It's ACED’s goal to demystify what this means in the context of how it is being carried out in the Almaguin Highlands. The idea is that collective investment in regional promotion and business support helps the whole area thrive — attracting visitors, businesses and new residents, all of which can strengthen the local economy over time.
“We just can’t do it as small puzzle piece municipalities,” said Bryson. “We can’t do it on our own … so having that long-term vision and somebody to do it — if ACED wasn’t doing it, nobody would be.”
From Armour's perspective, Ward said support for regional community and economic development is non-negotiable.
"We gain so much credibility and attention by being able to say we are part of the Almaguin Highlands," he said. "This leads to more real dollars coming to Almaguin from other levels of government by showing we are cooperating across the region."
"A fractured approach to community and economic development would lead to a fractured region."
So the next time you look at your municipal budget and spot “ACED,” you’ll know it’s your municipality’s way of investing in a stronger Almaguin.
“For such a small investment from my constituents, we get economic development in our municipality,” Bryson said. “Let’s face it, the federal government believes in ACED — they’ve funded most of it.”
“This has been great for our community,” he added. “A small investment for a big return.”
Do you want to know more about ACED? Check out our website: www.explorealmaguin.ca, or, you can email us at: marketing@explorealmaguin.ca or edo@explorealmaguin.ca.