Woolwich Council Approves 2023 Budget with an 8.03% Tax Increase

Woolwich Township – In approving the 2023 Budget, Woolwich Council demonstrated its commitment to investing solidly and thoughtfully to address the challenges of our growing community.  Council supported additional resources to effectively manage growth along with funding to advance critical infrastructure projects that continue to help the municipality tackle the Township’s infrastructure deficit, and investments in quality of life services and facilities.

Woolwich Council approved an 8.03% increase to the budget, which works out to an increase of $79.66 based on average assessment of $418,000 or $19.06 per $100,000 of residential assessment.  The increase can be broken down as follows:

• 6.53% will be directed towards the regular operating and capital programs.
• 1.50% will be directed through a special infrastructure levy towards infrastructure projects which will assist with addressing a significant infrastructure deficit and will continue to assist the municipality in leveraging grant funding opportunities from the Provincial and Federal governments.
• One of the significant budget challenges that the Township had to address this year was with respect to supply chain constraints which has resulted in costs rising greater than the rate of inflation.  As an example, the cost for our heavy equipment renewal including fire truck replacement has drastically escalated.  The cost of fire trucks has increased 140%.  With our fire truck replacement being on a 20-year cycle, we as a corporation, do not believe we can extend that further and remain within legislated guidelines or safety requirements.  Included in the 2023 Budget is 1.86%, to start addressing the shortfall.
• An additional infrastructure staff position was added to ramp up the municipality’s efforts to address our ambitious capital program and continue to tackle our infrastructure deficit. 
• Woolwich has been consistently one of the fastest growing communities within the Region for a number of years. 0.71% has been included to bring on an additional staff position to ensure that the Township can continue to effectively manage growth and handle recent provincially legislated changes that require that the municipality process development applications in a much more expeditious fashion or be faced with refunding development fees.
• Recreation revenues have unfortunately not rebounded as quickly post COVID and was also a key challenge influencing this year’s budget.

In summary, maintaining existing service and program levels will require a 5.82% tax rate increase.  In addition, 1.50% is required to continue to address our infrastructure deficit and 0.71% is required for the additional planning position to address increasing growth and the Provincially downloaded changes.

“Woolwich continues to experience positive growth and as our population grows, so do our needs” said Mayor Sandy Shantz.  ”I am grateful to be able to work with a Council and staff team to build a strong and sustainable community as we grow together.”

Additional information on the Budget, including previously approved budgets and our annual audited financial statements, can be found by visiting:
www.woolwich.ca/budget

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Media Contact:

Rae Ann Bauman, Corporate Communications/Media Relations
Phone: 519-669-6021
Email: rbauman@woolwich.ca

For more information please contact: 

Richard Petherick, Director of Financial Services/Treasurer
Phone: 519-669-6013
Email: rpetherick@woolwich.ca