As part of our Strategic Plan to ensure long-term financial stability of the Town, and to involve the community in our ongoing work, the Town begins an extensive budgeting process every Fall.
Developing an Annual Budget involves several months of planning and coordination among Staff, Council, and stakeholders. This process involves extensive consultations with the public and ratepayers, ending with the development of a three-year operating budget and a five-year capital budget for the following year.
The Town’s budgeting goal is to ensure, through prudent fiscal planning, the long-term economic sustainability of our community.
Resident, business and visitor demand for services and the community’s ability to pay for these services guide municipal spending. As infrastructure ages, funds must be committed for proper maintenance and refurbishment.
The Town recognizes that taxpayers are demanding value for their money. A balance must be struck between demand for services and the taxpayers’ ability to pay for these services. The Town must ensure that services, programs, and facility commitments are sustainable now and in the future.
There are a number of factors that affect the preparation of the annual budget. These include inflation, growth, development activity, economic trends, changing market conditions, taxation issues, and policy decisions of Council.
The 2022 Proposed Budget is staff's best estimate of 2022 costs and revenues based on current knowledge.
Once the 2022 Proposed Budget is released by Staff, the Town holds a series of Committee of the Whole Meetings, where the Proposed Budget is reviewed by Council, and a Public Information Session and Public Meeting is held to gain input from the public.
The 2022 Proposed Budget will be available on November 12, 2021 and Committee of the Whole Budget Meetings will take place in early December 2021.
The following is a list of important dates in the 2022 Budget Process which are included in the 2022 Budget Timeline:
The 2020 Approved Budget was passed by Council on March 30, 2020.
The 2019 Approved Budget was passed by Council on April 24, 2019.
The 2019 Approved Budget including Additions to the Base Budget, results in a 3.45% increase in the Town Tax Levy Rate over 2018.
The blended tax rate, which combines Town, County, and Education tax rates, is a 2.13% increase.
This means that a residential property valued at $600,000 would see an increase of approximately $115 to the total annual property tax bill.
Your dollar goes a long way. For every $1 of taxation received, the Town keeps just 42 cents. The remainder is split between Grey County (40 cents) for county services, and the local school boards (18 cents) for the education of our community's children.
The water and wastewater rates are a combination of a Fixed Charge and a Consumption Charge that is based on actual consumption.
Water and Wastewater Rates did not increase in 2019.
The Infrastructure Renewal Fee for Water and Wastewater remains constant for 2019 as the Town continues to make increased contributions to the Water and Wastewater Asset Replacement Reserves.
The 2018 Approved Budget was passed by Council on February 12, 2018.
The 2018 Base Budget provides for the same service level and the same services delivered at a 0.74% increase over 2017. With the Additions to the Base Budget added in, the Town Tax Levy Rate is a 2.07% increase over 2017.
The blended tax rate, which combines Town, County, and Education tax rates, is a 1.00% increase.
This means that a residential property valued at $550,000 would see an increase of approximately $51 to the total annual property tax bill.
Your dollar goes a long way. For every $1 of taxation received, the Town keeps just 42 cents. The remainder is split between Grey County (39 cents) for county services, and the local school boards (19 cents) for the education of our community's children.
In 2018, the tax rate increased by 1% over 2017. This means that a home assessed at $150,000 would see a tax bill increase of about $14. For a home assessed at $550,000, a residential tax bill would increase by approximately $51, and a home assessed at $950,000 would see an increase of approximately $88.
The water and wastewater rates are a combination of a Fixed Charge and a Consumption Charge that is based on actual consumption.
Water Rates did not increase in 2018.
Wastewater Consumption Rates increased by 2%.
This 2% increase to wastewater would see the average household wastewater bill increase by $6 per year. This is based on a residence using a residential 5/8" water meter and an average of 30 cubic meters of water every two months.
The Infrastructure Renewal Fee for Water and Wastewater remains constant for 2018 as the Town continues to make increased contributions to the Water and Wastewater Asset Replacement Reserves.
The 2017 Approved Budget was passed by Council on February 13, 2017.
The 2017 Budget provides for the same service level and the same services delivered at a 0.17% increase over 2016. With the Additions to the Base Budget added in, the Town Tax Levy Rate is now a 3.19% increase over 2016.
The blended tax rate, which combines Town, County and Education tax rates, is 2.00%.
The water and wastewater rates are a combination of a Fixed Charge and a Consumption Charge based on actual consumption.
Water and Wastewater Rates did not increase in 2017.
The Town is committed to creating an accessible online environment and ensuring that its web documents are available to everyone by meeting the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Unfortunately, the Town’s Approved Budgets from 2013 to 2016 do not comply with the AODA, and are not posted on the Town’s website. However, if you would like an electronic copy of any of these Approved Budgets, please contact us, and we will be happy to send you a copy.
For more information on the AODA and accessibility, please visit our Accessibility Page.
Deputy Treasurer/Manager of Accounting & Budgets
519-599-3131 x274
