Nearly 51 per cent tax increase proposed in Wilmot draft budget

Property owners in Wilmot Township will certainly have plenty to say following the release of the 2025 Draft Budget, included in the preliminary spending plan is a 50.8 per cent increase to the township portion of the average property tax bill.

The Township is calling the increase a “major, one-time boost to capital infrastructure investments.”

Broken down, around $35 per month will go to the infrastructure improvements, $3.85 per month will help offset inflationary costs and $9.50 per month will go to address funding and resource gaps in the operating budget.

In total, the average homeowner is looking at an additional $48.35 per month or $580 per year on their property tax bill.

Included in the capital investment category is a new fire station in New Hamburg, upgrades to the road network and improvements to the Wilmot Recreation Complex.

“We see this budget as a turning point for the Township of Wilmot,” said Acting CAO, Director of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer Greg Clark in a press release. “This significant, one-time increase will ensure the organization can continue to maintain its facilities and provide high-quality services to residents now, and in the future.”

Council will now take time to review the spending plan, which is expected to be hotly debated at budget meetings scheduled in December and January.

The public will also get a chance to weigh in when the floor is opened to delegates at a special meeting on Jan. 7. People will need to register with the township to speak at the meeting.

Clark noted there is a pretty good chance the numbers will change before council holds a final vote. He said the budget review process allows council to fully review and discuss the proposed increases.