Written By Jan Sims
MIDDLESEX CENTRE - Middlesex Centre taxpayers are looking at a 4.27% increase in the municipal tax rate for next year over 2024.
The proposed 2025 budget went before council at its meeting on December 18th. The tax hike together with other municipal rates such as wastewater and stormwater fees will result in an additional cost of $179.04 for the average residential property assessed at $400,000 and $77.00 for a farm property assessed at $1 million.
It could have been worse. Last month the municipality received notification from the Solicitor General that the OPP costs for Middlesex Centre would decrease from the proposed $2.8 million to $2.4 million resulting in a 4.8% increase instead of the initially proposed 22.4%. “The change allowed the municipality to decrease the initially proposed 5.9% tax rate increase to 4.27%”, according to Final Draft Budget Book 2025.
The report to council also cites reduced payroll costs and a decrease in insurance estimates.
By the numbers, the 2025 budget is $78.87 million. That compares to $79.89 million in 2024. Within the overall budget, 2025 operating expenses are calculated at $49.3 million, while capital expenses come in at $29.5 million. “The 2025 budget addresses increasing costs of capital projects, maintains the current level of services, and allows for needed infrastructure construction and repair,” according to the report to council. At its December 18th meeting, council voted in favour of the draft budget, but Ward 3 Councillor Hugh Aerts injected a note of caution regarding upcoming projects identified in the capital budget. “Just because something’s in the five-year capital doesn’t mean it will happen,” said Aerts.
While the report says the 2025 budget is balanced, it says that to accomplish this it’s budgeting $70,000 drawn from operating reserve funds. And it cautions that using reserve funds is not a recommended long-term strategy, because it reduces available reserves for future years.
