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County of Simcoe updates 2025 draft budget

November 21, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The County of Simcoe held a special budget meeting on Oct. 29, regarding the 2025 draft budget.

The Committee of the Whole further reviewed the County’s budget on Nov. 12.

During the review and deliberations in both meetings, cost adjustments were brought forward by staff, hiring for two specific roles was deferred and a final recommended percentage tax rate increase of 3.25 per cent was decided. The tax rate was reduced from the originally proposed 4 per cent.

The 3.65 per cent increase is 1.625 per cent for operating and 2 per cent for asset management. This equates to an increase of $10.86 per $100,000 of assessment on a property.

The draft budget maintains existing service levels for all County areas as well as allowing for the growing needs of future services, programs, and large capital and infrastructure projects.

The key projects in the budget include the expansion of a new LINX Transit route to serve south Simcoe communities, continued progress at the Simcoe Village campus redevelopment, a large affordable housing build in Barrie and the completion of other sites.

Projects also include phased road work on CR4, 21, and 22, a new paramedic station in Waubaushene, and museum expansion for the C. Matthews Innovation and Transportation Gallery.

The proposed budget will be forwarded to County Council for potential ratification on Nov. 26.

Other considerations in the proposed budget include furthering the work of the County’s 10-point homelessness Prevention Strategy, increasing supportive housing units/spaces and diversifying options to achieve improved housing outcomes and reduce reliance on emergency homeless shelters.

Other considerations include the planning and implementation of the Medical Priority Dispatch System, and the implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, including the implementation of a new cost-based funding formula and targeted system growth of 698 new licensed child care spaces.

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