At their November 12 General Committee meeting, Huntsville councillors unanimously approved two-year consolidated budgets for 2025 and 2026 with tax rate increases of 4.84% and 4.87%, respectively.
Those rates incorporate assessment growth of about 2.59% for 2025 and an estimated 2.11% for 2026. On the tax bill, once the estimated District and education rate is incorporated, ratepayers will see an increase of about $107 per $300,000 of assessment for 2025 and an estimated increase of another $111 in 2026, also per $300,000 of assessment. See the figures below.
Councillors managed to decrease the 2025 budget by about $225,000, which is equivalent to about 1% on the tax rate and an estimated $20,000 from the 2026 budget. Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock was not at the meeting but Deputy Mayor Dan Armour noted that a financial survey conducted by the Town had noted that one of the top priorities for ratepayers involved the state of roads. He suggested that rather than offset the levy by the reductions, that the money go into the Town’s capital reserve for roads.
Armour’s suggestion received unanimous support from councillors.
The reductions came mostly from the elimination of new hires, such as a part-time library marketing coordinator position for about $26,120 (starting in mid-year), a full-time health and safety specialist position for $131,000, and a full-time IT tech position for $101,000. Other items slated for 2026 were moved to 2025 and items such as a hot tub at $400,000 for the Canada Summit Centre and an ice floor cover will be paused until funding sources other than the levy are found.
Councillor Scott Morrison, who ran the meeting, thanked everyone involved.
The committee’s recommendation still needs to be ratified by council. The Town is expected to release an updated consolidated budget with the budget items removed. In the meantime, you can find the draft budget before the changes, HERE under 5.1.1. You can also watch the discussion HERE.
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Bill Beatty says
Hot Tub ?
Oh that elusive 3 % budget increase .
Keep trying….Seriously…A Hot Tub ???
NEEDS not Wants folks !
Rylind Davis says
Bill Beatty, did you watch the meeting? Because with all due respect, your comment sounds like artificial surface-level outrage without knowing the facts,
The hot tub at the summit centre is falling, it is constantly breaking down as it is not commercial grade, it is not meant to be used in a commercial setting, it was meant for a private setting and since it is older, getting parts for it is harder and harder. With the hot tub being down for service every month for sometimes weeks at a time, the Town is losing money from user groups and individuals who rent the pool, for example, people who are in physical therapy or stroke rehab rent the facility to use to hot tub, so the town is losing money on this revenue-generating part of the pool.
It is also worth mentioning, that the current hot tub is not accessible to those with physical disabilities, there is no way for someone in a wheelchair or with mobility issues to independently and safely get in and out of the hot tub, the new hot tub would have had a lift for those in wheelchairs and other to be able to lower and raise themselves in and out of the hot tub.
Sometimes I believe the politicians and people in this town are too focused on short-term thinking over long-term gain. The value that this would have had on the individuals that this effects would have outweighed any short term MINOR increase to the taxpayer
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Bill i am with you. Some of these expenditures during these times are a little far fetched. $400,000 for a hot tub to help how many taxpayer’s? the tax increase chart based on $300,000 assessment, sooner than later that is going to be looked at as you can’t even by a portapoty for that in town. admin staff at all levels of govt. is also out of control. We need more worker bees as my grandpa used to say
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Uncle Bill and Randy, just for a point of clarification. The discussion around the hot tub resulted in us agreeing unanimously that we would not be interested in spending $400,000 on a hot tub. We left it in the budget so that staff could apply for grants to help fund it. But we’ve been clear that it would need to be funded through grant money for us to consider replacing it.
It is out of order quite often because it is a residential grade hot tub being used in a commercial setting. So it definitely could use replacing, but we made the prudent decision to not spend taxpayers dollars on it right now.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
In 2024, the tax increase was 10.64%. In 2025 it’s an increase of 4.84% and in 2026 an increase of 4.87%. I am a landlord and I can only increase my rents by 2.5%. Each year, my financial situation gets worse and yet I hear, “we need more affordable rental accommodations”. How is this possible for me?
Either scale back the increased spending or convince the Province of Ontario to allow us to increase our rents to match the town’s tax increase or there will be fewer and fewer rental accommodations available.