General News

Simcoe County Council approves 2025 Budget

December 5, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

County of Simcoe Council approved a $962 million budget on Nov. 26, focused on the resources necessary to maintain existing services and address significant growth in its communities.

The 2025 budget includes strategic allocations that enable the County to continue to invest in services and assets such as infrastructure, long-term care, paramedic services, museum, transit, affordable housing, the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, waste collections, economic development, tourism, and enhancements to the road network.

At the direction and approval of County Council, residents will see a 3.625 per cent increase on the County portion of their municipal property taxes in 2025. This represents an impact of approximately $10.86 per $100,000 property assessment across the region.

Simcoe County residential property taxes fund $224.6 million of the budget with the remaining amount from other revenues and funding streams.

“County Council and staff worked hard to limit the impact of this budget on our residents, while ensuring we maintain the ability to meet service demands and infrastructure needs as our communities continue to grow,” said County Warden Basil Clarke. “When times are challenging, the demand for County services is greater than ever. As we head into 2025, we look forward to opening more affordable housing units, creating new spaces for those living unhoused, making driving easier and safer across our road network, supporting the environment through waste management and sustainability programs, creating more transit connections, supporting more seniors in need of care and services and creating more jobs as we build up Simcoe County.”  

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 County’s 2025 budget includes new LINX Transit routes to serve South Simcoe communities, continued progress at the Simcoe Village Campus redevelopment, a large affordable housing build in Barrie and phased road work on CR4, 21, and 22.

The budget also includes a new paramedic station in Waubaushene, museum expansion for the C. Matthews Innovation and Transportation Gallery, and redevelopment of the Bradford West Gwillimbury waste drop-off facility.

The County of Simcoe’s total operating and capital expenditures for 2024 were $962 million.

This includes:

• LTC homes – $188 million
• Seniors services – $12 million
• Paramedic services – $83 million
• Children services $151 million
• Social housing $120 million
• Ontario works – $85 million
• Community services $30 million
• Transportation and engineering $89 million
• Solid waste management $82 million

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