A second version of the draft 2025 municipal budgets was presented to council at their January 27 meeting, and council will discuss and debate the new draft during three full-day council meetings to be held in February.
The January 27 council meeting was held virtually due to stormy conditions that had been forecast for Monday afternoon.
Version two of the draft budgets for 2025 was prepared and presented by municipal Treasurer Valerie Manning, who council has said had little involvement in the first draft budget presented to council in November of last year.
Manning told council that, as presented, version two of the draft budgets for 2025 will require a total levy increase of 15.78 percent, which would translate into a 9.46 percent blended rate increase (which includes municipal, Grey County, and Provincial Education tax rates) for Meaford’s ratepayers in 2025. Manning told council that a blended rate increase of 9.46 percent would mean an $843 increase (roughly $70 per month) for an owner of a property assessed at $600,000.
Council will work to reduce the required rate increase during their full day budget discussions in February.
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 resulted in a delay of the budget process. 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 was clearly frustrated with the budget that had been presented by the former CAO, though they 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. Prior to her departure, former CAO Kymm Buckham had committed to producing a second version of the budget for council to consider, but after her departure, that task fell to the municipal Treasurer.
Councillor Steve Bartley thanked the Treasurer for the work she had done to get a second version of the draft budgets prepared for council on short notice.
“I want to thank Val and all staff. She was handed a large task, and she did what she did in a short time, and my heart goes out to her and the staff, because what they’ve come up with is incredible,” Bartley told council. “It is not staff’s job to get the budget down as far as council wants it, it’s council’s job, and I look forward to doing that, but first of all, Val, to you and your team, thank you.”
During her presentation of the second version of the draft budget, Treasurer Valerie Manning impressed upon council her desire to see significant public input, and she called upon ratepayers to get involved.
The public is invited to participate by attending the following budget days and by offering feedback:
Tuesday, February 4 (focusing on the Operating Budget) beginning at 9 a.m.
Thursday, February 6 (focusing on the Capital Budget) beginning at 9 a.m.
Friday, February 14 (if needed) beginning at 9 a.m.
Written questions and comments about the budget can also be sent to communications@meaford.ca
After council has completed their budget discussions and revisions in February, a statutory public budget meeting will be held prior to council voting to approve the 2025 budgets, likely in March.
All budget-related information is published on the municipal website (meaford.ca/budget)
