Mayor Ann Lawlor's January 2023 Message

It’s Budget Time!

January and February are budget months at the Town of Halton Hills. Based on last year’s expenses and current issues, staff present options for operations and capital spending. Councillors then decide what is essential and what items can wait.  

It’s my sense that this is not the year for big property tax increases, and that is the message I’ll be sharing with my Council colleagues. That said, key items drive the cost of running our Town:

• Economic conditions like inflation, a possible recession, employment rates and salaries
• Population growth and demand for more facilities and services
• Managing risk, maintaining roads and buildings in good repair and keeping services at a standard

As for economic conditions, we are all dealing with increases – grocery shopping leaves a bigger hole in our pockets, interest rates are up, mortgage and rental rates are rising and filling the car and heating oil tanks is more costly. The Town is paying more for goods and services, too. There are pressures that salaries should keep pace with inflation.

Essential municipal expenses such as insurance premiums have skyrocketed.

In addition to these increases, the Town will have a major income shortfall because of changes by the Province to “development charges”.  This is money collected through new home purchases that has covered the municipal costs of new development - roads, libraries, parks, sewers, etc. With recent legislation, the Province is restricting development charges so that growth related to new home construction will have to be subsidized by existing property taxpayers!

Every municipal council in Ontario is struggling with the new provincial rules.

Through budget decisions made this month, Council will ensure the plows make their rounds on wintry days and the splash pads spurt water on hot summer days. Grass in our parks and playing fields will be mowed, trees will be planted; ActiVan will get people to appointments and swimming pools will be staffed.

We’ll cover the basics, but the 2023 budget challenges are big ones for property tax.