MAPLETON – Township staff are recommending a net levy increase of 3.55 per cent in 2025.
To be considered at a Mapleton council meeting next Tuesday, a new staff report said the proposed levy adjustment would enable the township to recalibrate some previous budget allocations and avoid a reliance on non-sustainable revenue streams.
An increase of 3.55 per cent represents $350,341 and would cost the average property owner $65.63 annually or $5.47 per month. This does not include the county portion of the tax bill.
The township had a 3.48 per cent increase in 2024.
"It is critical for council and the community to note that in an effort to maintain a tax levy increase aligned to the existing forecast, staff have deferred a number of additional service level changes, deferred or reprioritized some capital initiatives, and deferred potential service level enhancements," said staff in the report.
According to the report, the township has historically maintained lower-than-average levy adjustments, creating a funding gap of approximately $730,000, which is what the township would've received in additional funding if adjustments had been held to a minimum of inflation over the past several years.
From 2016-2024 levy adjustments averaged 1.19 per cent per year.
An increase of approximately 5.9 per cent was previously forecast for 2025.
Staff will host a public input session for the budget at the PMD Arena on Nov. 18.
Final budget approval will occur on Dec. 10.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
