Bruce County council has asked staff to bring forward the Budget By-law to the January 9, 2025 council meeting and to set the 2025 tax levy increase at 5 per cent.
Council approved the motion last week, which included reducing the tax levy increase over 2024 from a 6.81 per cent increase proposed in a staff report in October.
The annual impact on the average assessed house in the County will be under $79.
Some adjustments to the original budget proposal were made as a result of additional funding information and feedback received from County Council
That includes the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) allocation for 2025 of $377,068 which has now been announced by the province. That revenue was assigned to the Bruce Road 19 project, and transfers from reserves in the capital budget have been reduced by an equivalent amount to maintain the county’s 2.5 per cent levy contribution increase under the Asset Management Plan recommendation.
Funding for Emergency Shelter Spending was revised by $100,000 which will come from the Tax Stabilization Reserve. Staff reported the use of this funding is wholly reliant on what the province does and therefore staff are recommending the change in funding to be from a reserve.
Funding of $30,000 for an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Consultant will now come from the Human Resources Departmental Reserve. As well, $50,000 for a Road Authority Assessment Study will be covered by departmental reserves as additional Infrastructure funding will be available in future years go back into that reserve.
Included in the 2025 budget is $225,000 to be transferred into the Health Care Reserve Fund. This represents a $75,000 increase over the $150,000 that was transferred into the reserve fund in 2024. This reserve fund is responsible for the five-year commitment to Brightshores of $500,000.