The Town of Tillsonburg’s municipal budget so far has been whittled down from a draft budget increase of 13.69 per cent to 4.58 per cent.
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The final budget is likely to be approved by council by the end of January.
At the second budget meeting recently, town staff council delivered a list of potential reductions totaling $1.2 million. They included limiting new personnel, using 2024 surplus funds to offset 2025 labor costs, reducing overall training costs, and allocations for general supplies, as well as removing funding for community grants.
“The goal was to bring the tax increase down to a more reasonable 3.08 percent — or the 12-month average for cost of living,” Renato Pullia, the town’s director of finance, said in a release.
“These changes have brought the tax rate increase to 4.78 per cent, which, on the average residence valued at $242,000, represents an increase of $143.74 annually, $35.93 quarterly or $0.39 daily.”
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Cost increases that are out of municipal control, including the cost of policing, contribute to the tax hike, the mayor said in the release.
“The OPP contract increase was initially 3.88 per cent — a figure which was later reduced by the province to 0.79 per cent,” said Mayor Deb Gilvesy. “That reduction helped significantly, but we also asked staff to help identify other potential savings, while still meeting the municipality’s needs.”
Council supported funding for community events such as Canada Day fireworks, as well as a temporary walk-in clinic. They also maintained funding for maintenance and renewal of the town’s infrastructure.
Gilvesy called the challenge of finding savings a “monumental task”.
“All departments worked together under the leadership of CAO Kyle Pratt, alongside the finance team, to get us closer to our goal,” Gilvesy added.
Budget deliberations will continue in January, with final budget approval anticipated by the end of January 2025.
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