Perth County Council approved the 2025 budget at the April 10 council meeting.
Council settled on an 11.34 percent increase to the levy this year. Warden Doug Kellum says with ongoing cost uncertainty, getting budgets done at the municipal level remains a challenge.
"We're all facing the same pressures. Whether it's the continued reduction of OMP Funding, increased costs of living impacted by inflation, increased material costs for capital projects, those are a few of the ongoing challenges," Kellum said.
Despite the increase, Kellum says staff and council were able to keep it at a modest cost for ratepayers despite ongoing financial pressures and challenges.
"It works out to $1.99 per week, which isn't that bad. Our staff did so much to minimize everything to lower costs bared again on the ratepayers, but I think they did a very good job," Kellum noted.
With inflation still an issue and now even more uncertainty due to ongoing global tariffs from the U.S., Kellum says they had to strike a balance between keeping the levy increase manageable while still being able to complete necessary work.
"This year that includes 7.65 km of Perth Road 130 with the rehabilitation project we're doing. With the vehicle fleet, we have a tri-axel plow truck that's coming in at $475,000. If we move on to paramedic services, we're replacing 18 defibrillator units which works out to around $200,000," added Kellum.
Kellum says to offset some of the tax burden, less money was earmarked for reserves this time around.
"We didn't put a whole lot into reserves this year for that main reason, the 11.34 percent increase. We thought that that was enough tax burden for now, but we're always on top of that and looking for ways to put into reserves for future projects down the road," Kellum concluded.
"There is no doubt that inflation has a significant impact on this budget year," said Corey Bridges, Director of Finance/Treasurer. "It has reached into every aspect of our lives, and Municipalities across Ontario are faced with similar pressures. Staff are mindful of these pressures and continue to implement mitigating financial strategies to ensure financial stability."
"We appreciate the support of Council with the approval of the 2025 budget," shared Lori Wolfe, Chief Administrative Officer. "Staff work hard to ensure that the annual budget reflects the needs of the County for critical projects and services required each year to support the goals of the Strategic Plan while being mindful of budget pressures."
To view the budget, visit www.perthcounty.ca/finance.