Council faces 8.4% tax hike
Draft budget to be considered on Tuesday shows 12% jump in operational spending
Tomorrow Trent Hills council will be looking at a draft 2025 budget that calls for an 8.39 per cent increase in your property taxes and a 4 per cent increase in your water and sewer bills.
The draft budget has been posted on the municipal website as part of the agenda for tomorrow's meeting.
Operating expenses are projected to be up 12 per cent, or $1.6 million, to $14.6 million from $13 million in 2024. A drop in capital spending keeps the overall increase to 8.39 per cent.
One of the big factors for next year is a 17.4 per cent increase in our bill from the Ontario Provincial Police. That bill for 2025 will $2,994,871, up $442,764 from $2,552,107 this year. The OPP hike alone represents a 2.7 per cent hike in the municipal budget, says the draft prepared by Christina Beaushaw, our new treasurer and director of finance.
The only comforting factor may be that many of the 330 municipalities served by the OPP are facing increases of more than 30 per cent. The solicitor general’s office says the province will take steps to ensure there is no negative impact on municipalities, but it’s not clear if that is a complicated way of saying more money is coming to offset the cost. The OPP fee jumped because the province reached a new contract that increases wages to the highest in the province.
Last week, Northumberland County Council considered its budget for 2025, looking at a draft increase of 9.7 per cent. It sent the budget back to staff asking for ways to cut that increase to 6.5 per cent.
Trent Hills residents can comment on the budget plans on the website. Council will get its first public look at the budget on Tuesday and will consider it again on Dec. 10.
The draft 2025 budget shows a proposed tax levy requirement of $17,706,491, up $1,371,248 or 8.39% from 2024.
The completion of the Sunny Life Wellness & Recreation Centre will increase operating costs for the parks and recreation department. Also, that department is undertaking a $140,000 master plan for the future. This should interest all the folks who were surprised by the closing of the outdoor pool and those who wonder what will become of that park at the corner of Ranney and Bridge streets.
Council will also be reviewing a separate draft 2025 budget for the water and wastewater departments. It is separate because the cost is paid by users, not included in our tax bills.
The draft says the average homeowner will pay $126.89 a month, up $5.20 or 4.3 per cent from $121.69 this year for their water and sewer services.
The budgets show large jumps in wage costs of about 20 per cent in both the water and wastewater areas with no explanation.
I’ll have more detailed coverage after tomorrow’s meeting.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories anytime on the website.
Absolutely disgusting! Time to move! We already pay FAR more than enough. Enough is enough !!!