Written By Jan Sims
MIDDLESEX CENTRE – The township is inviting residents to have their say in the 2026 municipal budget. People have until August 18th to complete a survey outlining their priorities for the next budget.
The survey is available online at the Middlesex Centre website. Results will be presented to council towards the end of Sept
Currently, an average residential property assessed at $400,000 will pay about $5,242 in property taxes, which is allocated to the Municipality of Middlesex Centre, Middlesex County, and school boards. Middlesex Centre keeps 53% of that amount, or $2,781, to pay for municipal services.
Questions contained in the survey include rating overall satisfaction with the value received for tax dollars and delivery of services. Respondents are also asked about priorities such as increasing, decreasing, or maintaining services with the relevant tax implications. A fourth questions asks how people feel about the maintenance of municipal infrastructure. A final question asks for input on which infrastructure needs improvement.
The 2025 budget came in at just under $79 million. That represented a tax increase of 4.27%. Of the total amount, over $49 million went to operating expenses, with the bulk of that amount used to fill reserves as well as pay wages and benefits. A further $29.5 million went to capital projects. The big-ticket items in that category include $10.5 million for roads, bridges and other transportation projects. The next highest expense category at $9.8 million was for water, wastewater and stormwater projects. And $5.4 million was allocated for upgrades to municipal facilities.
Information provided in the survey is used by municipal staff as they determine their department budgets. During the fall senior managers and two members of council will go through the budget on a line-by-line basis with the mayor. The final numbers will go to council in early 2026.
