WINCHESTER – Budget woes were seen around the council table in North Dundas as township council was presented with a nearly 13 per cent tax increase on December 18.
“This is the first draft,” said Mayor Tony Fraser. “There is going to be strong consideration, but we do understand that improvements need to be made to our roads and challenges are in front of us. It’s our role to face those challenges and face the public and be able to explain the reasons why we do what we do.”
The first draft of the budget pointed to a 12.9 per cent proposed residential tax increase. The increase accounts for an additional $1.3 million in revenue for the township’s $20.99 million budget.
In many departments, expenses are down slightly from the budgeted amounts in 2024, however, more of the revenue used to fund those departments is coming from taxation rather than other sources like reserves or funding from other levels of government.
Budgeted spending for the fire service is down nearly 23 per cent; General Government spending is down nearly four per cent; Building Department spending is down 10 per cent; Bylaw is down by 1.7 per cent; Animal Control is down by 33 per cent; Transportation Services spending is down 25 per cent from the previous budget, however, more than four-fifths of that budget is funded by taxation in 2025, up from half in 2024.
Recreation spending is up by nearly 40 per cent, the bulk of the increase is attributed to $2 million in work at the Chesterville Arena. Half of the money for the project is coming from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, with the township financing the balance of the bill over 10 years.
No budget meeting has been scheduled for 2025 at publication deadline. The next regular council meeting for North Dundas is scheduled for January 15.
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