When the first draft of the 2025 municipal budget was presented to council on November 4, council had expected to have approved the 2025 budgets during their December 9 meeting. However the departure of the CAO on November 26 has resulted in a delay of the budget process, which is now expected to resume on January 27. ‘Version two’ of the 2025 budgets will be presented to council on that day, followed by up to three special meetings of council in February to discuss and debate the second version of the budgets, with a final approval of the 2025 municipal budgets now expected to take place on March 10, 2025.
As initially presented on November 4, the draft budget, which was divided into ‘core services’ and ‘elective services’, would have meant an increase of roughly 36 percent in 2025 for Meaford ratepayers had that draft budget been approved as presented.
After three full days of budget discussions in November, council had approved the inclusion of some of the ‘elective services’, including policing, and had rejected others, resulting in a decrease of the potential 2025 rate increase to 21.48 percent. Council will be working to significantly reduce that required rate increase after receiving ‘version two’ of the budget in the new year.
“The initial draft of the 2025 budget provided Council and staff an opportunity to review and analyze the key elements comprising the first budget draft and provide direction to staff in preparation for the updated draft two. Staff are undertaking the process of further reviewing the budget documents to determine additional areas for cost savings and identify alternative funding sources to produce a next draft of the 2025 budget. This work continues to be done with the desire to balance significant inflationary concerns, challenges to supply chain and labour shortages and capital infrastructure costs with fiscal prudence and responsible debt management,” staff told council in a report presented on December 9.
The second version of the 2025 municipal budgets will be presented to council on Monday, January 27. Council will have three full-day meetings scheduled in February in order to discuss and debate the next version of the budget with a goal of voting to approve the 2025 budgets on Monday, March 10, 2025.
At their December 9 meeting, council approved the following revised budget schedule for the 2025 budget:
Monday, January 27, 2025 (in Council) – Version 2 of the 2025 draft budget
Note: Version 2 will incorporate Council direction from meetings held in 2024. Along with a revised budget book, Council will receive a follow-up presentation.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 (Special Meeting) – Operating Budget Day
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 (Special Meeting) – Capital Budget Day
Friday, February 14, 2025 (Special Meeting) – Final Budget Deliberation Day if needed
TBA – Statutory Public Budget Meeting
Monday, March 10, 2025 – final approval
