WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington County is proposing a 4.1 per cent tax increase for county property owners in 2025.
That’s a slightly smaller increase than in 2024 when the county approved a 4.6 per cent tax increase.
According to a report to be presented at county council this Thursday, the County of Wellington’s 10-year plan has proposed adding $356.4 million to the budget in 2025, with $139.8 million to be tax-funded.
In the report, County Treasurer Ken DeHart says over half of this year’s budgetary increase can be attributed to the County’s two largest services, being roads and bridges, and police services.
The OPP contract will add approximately 2.0% to the County tax levy, which is 1.7% higher than previously projected.
However, Dehart says the County was able to offset a much higher-than-predicted increase in the OPP contract with strong assessment growth and supplementary tax revenue.
“Although general inflation and construction prices are starting to return to historical norms, the County is still phasing in some of the major capital cost increases experienced over the last couple of years. The County’s strategy was to avoid major spikes in its tax rates by utilizing its reserves to phase-in major construction price increases over a three-to-four-year period, rather than realizing them all at once,” Dehart said in the report.
The County also continues to invest in its capital plan, with $621.5 million in spending projected over the next ten-years.
That represents an increase of $51.2 million in capital spending over last year’s 10-Year Plan.
Dehart says major projects include infrastructure investment in our network of roads, bridges and culverts, roads garages and ambulance stations throughout the County, the continued investment in the County’s social and affordable housing units, and expansion of programming at the Museum and Wellington Place.
The full report will be presented to County council this Thursday at 10am.
You can read the full 10-year-plan here.
