Township of Woolwich passes 2024 budget with 8.7 per cent property tax increase

In a close vote of 4-2, councillors in Woolwich Township passed the budget for 2024 on Monday night.

The budget will include a 8.7 per cent property tax increase and a net levy of $16-million. The township is expected to spend almost $55-million across the operational and capital budgets.

Council met on Jan. 23, Jan. 25, Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 for special meetings around the budget, as well at their regular council meeting on Feb. 6. Staff came back with a budget that would decrease the amount of debt issued this year from $11.6 million to $5.5 million.

“Most of those debt payments won’t happen in 2024,” said Steven Fairweather, the interim director of finance and treasurer for the township of Woolwich. “You probably would see some of the debt being floated in 2025. With an impact on the repayments on 2026’s budget.”

Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz thanked council for the discussions about the budget and noted the “difficult time” for the township and its residents.

“It’s been a tough few weeks,” said Shantz. “I trust in the next six months, we’ll have a better feeling all around as to how we go forward with the township’s finances.”

The township will also delay the hiring of a manager of bylaw enforcement and a full time fire training officer this year. Ward 1 councillor Evan Burgess brought forward a motion to include the fire training officer in the budget after speaking with firefighters in the township noting the position’s importance.

“Firefighting is something that I want to make sure everyone is trained…. I don’t want to make cuts on this position,” said Burgess.

Two motions to have the position added to the budget failed during the meeting by a vote of 3-3 each.

The township of North Dumfries also passed their budget on Feb. 12. Property taxes for residents will increase by 4.2 per cent, or around $50 per household with an average assessment value of $449,000.