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County council approves 2023 budget

February 10, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The County of Simcoe Council has approved a $695 million budget for 2023 that focuses on the resources necessary to maintain existing services and address significant growth in the county’s communities.

The 2023 budget also includes strategic allocations that enable the county to continue to invest in services and assets such as infrastructure, paramedic services, affordable housing, long-term care, Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, waste collection, transit, economic development, tourism, and enhancements to the road network.

At the direction of county council, residents will see a 2 per cent increase for operating and a 1.5 per cent increase for infrastructure and asset management on the county portion of their municipal property taxes in 2023. This represents an increase of approximately $9.77 per $100,000 property assessment across the region.

The overall budget expenditures increased from 2022 to 2023 primarily due to inflationary pressures, areas of growth, investment and initiatives directed by council to enhance the region’s service levels while increasing efficiencies.

The county is also experiencing a significant increased demand on services, including a 5 per cent increase in paramedic call volume.

The financial impact of the provincial blue box program and the introduction of Bill 23 – the Building More Homes Faster Act – are not fully known.

“County council recognizes that these are tough times for our residents and businesses, and we worked with staff to ensure that this budget focused on key priorities and only necessary projects for our communities,” said Warden Basil Clarke. “This budget addresses continued demands in affordable housing, social services, transportation infrastructure and economic development, while staying well under the rate of inflation. This is our first budget with this new council, and we’re pleased to move forward and to continue to deliver excellent and efficient services and projects.”

The county maintains a strong financial position having received an AA+ long-term issuer credit rating from S&P Global Ratings, a provider of high-quality market intelligence in the form of credit ratings and research. 

The budget breakdown and highlights include Long Term Care Homes and Senior services – $92 million. Paramedic Services – $67 million. Children Services – $105 million. Social Housing – $91 million. Ontario Works – $70 million. Transportation and Engineering – $77 million. Solid Waste Management – $85 million.

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