Huntsville’s General Committee will meet on November 11 to begin budget deliberations for the next two years of council.
Municipal staff will present a two-year draft budget for the years 2025/2026, with proposed tax increases of 4.84% for 2025 and 4.87% for 2026.
If passed, the 2025 budget will increase the property tax (including the District and Education portion) by about $107 per $300,000 of assessment.
In September, Julia McKenzie, Director of Financial Services and Treasurer for the Town of Huntsville, noted that “As per the Municipal Act, Section 291, municipalities can pass a multi-year budget from two to five years. The intent would be that staff would prepare the budget for both years for council’s approval and the second year of the multi-year budget council would still review it later in 2025.”
According to a release issued by the municipality on November 6, 2024, the draft budgets fall below the maximum increase of 4.99% set by Huntsville Council at their September meeting. At the time, councillors noted that they could not pass an increase of more than 5 per cent as ratepayers were hit hard with an increase of 10.68% in 2024.
“The budget being proposed for Huntsville results in competitive property tax rates within Muskoka as well as across Canada. There are many challenges that come along with preparing a budget in a time of cost increases, pressures on our services due to growth and new priorities. This draft budget continues to address investment in core infrastructure, helps provides [sic.] a more stable tax rate for two years, and includes many projects relating to healthcare and affordable housing through the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT),” noted McKenzie.
Between September 3 and 30, 2024, the Town conducted a survey asking residents about their priorities regarding the municipal budget. “Overall, respondents felt the value and quality of Town services were good, and the top service identified for improvement was roads,” stated the release, adding, “Town Council and staff will continue to be innovative leaders on important initiatives that have a great impact on the lives of Huntsville residents, such as supporting improved access to local healthcare services and working with our partners to strive to meet our local housing needs. Utilizing the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) allows the Town to address these key priorities while not having a direct impact on property tax rates.”
The two-year draft budget also incorporates the results of a market survey related to staff remuneration and employee retention.
“As we move forward with our first-ever multi-year budget for 2025-2026, it will be my goal as CAO to ensure that the Town is prepared as an organization to continue to support Council directives in areas that are of great importance to our residents, while being cognizant of the financial pressures that our community is experiencing,” said Denise Corry, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town. “This will include ensuring the right resources are in place to support the levels of service set by Council to meet our community’s needs. We must also ensure that our Human Capital remains strong so that we can continue to serve Council and the community to the best of our ability.”
Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock said, “I am particularly proud of our Budget Working Group and Town staff team, who have worked together in collaboration to develop a budget that respects the hard-earned dollars of our taxpayers by staying within the budget guidelines set by Council,” she said. “As your mayor, I will continue to listen to the priorities that our residents hold dear. With this 2025-2026 Draft Budget, we have a clear path forward for the Town that will embrace and prepare for our future, while taking care of the very real, practical necessities of today.”
The General Committee meeting on November 11 starts at 1 p.m. You can watch it at Huntsville.ca
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Municipal staff can always come up with imaginative ways to increase budgets and to sell an increase.
The news says ” inflation is going down”, so let’s have the municipal staff identify efficiencies they have found in their foolish overspending of the last five years. Perhaps they can use some imagination to bring forward a budget full of realistic needs instead of being full of unrealistic wants.
Just for a CHANGE, let them start with a balanced budget and see where they can build reserves for the future out of it?