Municipal Budget Overview
The Municipality of Meaford's budget has two main components: Operating and Capital. Operational budgeting is the financial backbone of a municipality's day-to-day activities covering the ongoing costs of running municipal services and maintaining community resources. Capital budgeting focuses on long-term investments and infrastructure projects.
For the draft 2025 budget, we have identified core services and elective services. This introduces a new budget process which increases transparency of services. This framework, which considers inflation, will support decision making during the budget process to minimize household impact.
Draft 2025 Budget Process
Drafting and Alignment
Staff developed a preliminary budget by evaluating community safety, connectedness and sustainability. Community feedback was key to understand expectations of services as well as baseline understanding of the municipal budget process.
Budget Survey Quick Facts:
- 273 respondents
- Majority of respondents, 71.3%, want equivalent or improved service levels
- More resources should be allocated to OPP and Capital Projects
View 2025 Budget Survey Results
Service Prioritization
To increase transparency throughout the budget process, services were categorized into core services and elective services.
- Core Services: essential to community function
- Elective Services: enhance quality of life
- Note discussion on OPP policing is required.
Core Service Presentation
The initial draft of the 2025 budget is focused on Core Services, ensuring the community’s foundational needs are met. The draft 2025 budget is currently in front of Council and available to review. The community is encouraged to review the budget, educate themselves on municipal budgets and engage throughout the budget process.
- Read the 2025 budget timeline below
Read the Draft 2025 Budget Book Online
Read the Draft 2025 Budget Report Package
Elective Services Selection
Staff and Council will collaboratively select Elective Services to identify those best aligned with strategic goals for the 2025 Budget, determining an optimal balance with proposed tax rates.
Learning About Property Taxes
Allocation of Taxes
Tax money is allocated to municipalities, provinces, and counties to fund local, regional, and county-specific services and infrastructure, with the exception of water and wastewater.
Of taxes collected, the allocation is:
- Municipality of Meaford - 60%
- Grey County - 26%
- Province of Ontario (for education) - 14%
Areas of Responsibility
FAQ
| What is an operating budget? |
The Municipality’s Operating Budget is the source of funding for all day-to-day programs and services provided by the Municipality of Meaford’s. It includes services such as:
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| What is a capital budget? |
Capital Budget outlines how the municipality will pay for large-scale projects and investments in physical infrastructure. This includes projects such as:
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| How much of the Operating Budget comes from taxes? |
| In 2024, the total operating expenses were $29,069,670 but the total tax levy required (amount from taxpayers) was $13,731,230.
The difference between what is spent and what is required from taxpayers is offset by grants, user fees (excluding water/wastewater), and other revenues as Council and staff work hard to stretch every tax dollar as far as possible. |
| How are capital projects such as road repaving prioritized? |
| Capital projects like road repaving are prioritized using the Municipality's Asset Management Plan (AMP) and State of Infrastructure (SOTI) report. These assess road conditions, prioritize repairs, and estimate costs. Updated traffic data helps ensure decisions meet maintenance standards. Projects are prioritized based on these assessments and available budget. |
| How does the budget affect my property taxes? |
| The budget consists of all the expected costs for the Municipality to provide a wide range of services to residents. To help pay for these costs the Municipality issues property tax bills to residents for their share of these costs based on the assessment of their property. Together with the province and county budget changes, the Municipality calculates the total percentage increase for all three and applies that increase to property owners taxes for the year. |
| How are water and wastewater improvements paid for? |
| Water and wastewater costs are paid by the users of these services unlike the rest of the budget which is paid for by all property owners of the Municipality. Any funds budgeted for water and wastewater services can only be used for these services and unspent funds are put into reserves for future water and wastewater costs. Wherever possible the Municipality uses grants and other revenue sources such as development charges to help offset these costs. |
| How are the funds allocated? |
The budget book (link) outlines how the funds are allocated between the operating and capital budgets as well as the breakdown by department. It was evident through the community engagement that safety, connectedness and sustainability were key areas of interest for residents. With this insight, we have identified how much will be spent in each area of the core services in the draft 2025 budget.
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| Can residents still get involved in the budget and proposed changes? |
| Residents are encouraged to attend public budget meetings. The public meeting for the draft 2025 budget is November 25th at 5:00 PM. |
| What will the impact be on service levels? |
| The core services of the budget have outlined the cost to keep service levels consistent with current levels, at the cost to deliver it in 2025. Elective services will enhance services and quality of life for residents, if selected by Council. |
| How does the budget plan for future challenges, such as population growth and development, through this budget? |
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Back in September 2024, Council passed to adopt a new Development Charge Background Study. Through this study the Municipality has determined what projects need to be done over the next 10 years to handle any growth and development anticipated. The cost of these projects is then budgeted to be paid for by Development Charges which is paid by developers. This means that growth pays for growth and minimizes the impact to existing taxpayers. |
| Why are taxes increasing during periods of high inflation? |
| Municipalities often face higher costs for services and infrastructure due to inflation, including rising prices for materials, labor, and utilities. To maintain essential services, municipalities may need to increase taxes to cover these increased expenditures. |
| What specific services are affected by inflation? |
| Inflation impacts various services, including public safety (police and fire), road maintenance, waste collection, and community services. Rising costs can strain budgets, necessitating adjustments in funding through tax increases. |
| How does the municipality determine the appropriate tax increase? |
| Tax increases are typically determined through a budget process that assesses current financial needs, projected inflation rates, and community priorities. Public survey and Council meetings help shape these decisions. |
| What steps is the municipality taking to mitigate the impact of inflation? |
| Municipalities may explore prioritize core services, cost-cutting measures of elective services, seek alternative funding sources, and implement efficiency improvements to manage budgets. |
| What can residents do if they disagree with the tax increase? |
| Residents can participate in public meetings, submit feedback during budget consultations, and engage with local elective officials and CAO to voice their concerns and seek clarification on budget decisions. |
| How does inflation impact the long-term financial health of the municipality? |
| Continued inflation can strain municipal finances, leading to difficult choices about service levels and providing of elective services. Balancing budgetary constraints with core services is crucial for long-term financial sustainability. |
| Will tax hikes lead to improved services? |
| While tax increases are often necessary to improve services, when inflation has not been previously applied, a tax hike only maintain the service quality. In times of inflation, Municipalities aim to allocate funds effectively to address core services. |
| How often do municipalities review their tax rates? |
| Municipalities typically review tax rates annually during the budgeting process, considering factors such as inflation, service levels, and overall economic conditions. |
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What alternatives to tax increases are being considered? |
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Municipalities may consider alternatives such as grant funding, public-private partnerships, and cost-sharing initiatives to alleviate the need for significant tax increases while still providing core services. |
Don’t see your question listed? Email communications@meaford.ca.
2025 Budget Timeline
| Draft Budget Version 1 Meetings |
| Tabling of Draft 2025 Fees and Charges
Date: Monday, October 7, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Budget Training (closed session) Tabling of Draft Budget and Presentation of 2025 Tax Supported Core Services Budget, includes Operational and Capital Budgets Statutory Public Meeting (Special Meeting of Council) Fees and Charges Council Budget Day - Draft 2025 Core Services Budget, includes Operational and Capital Budgets Council Budget Day - Draft 2025 Elective Services Budget, includes Operational and Capital Budgets Final Considerations/Additional Deliberation of Draft 2025 Elective Services Budget (if needed) Statutory Public Meeting (Special Meeting of Council) - Cancelled |
Draft 2025 Budget Version 2 (Regular Council)
Date: Monday, January 27 at 1:00 PM
Operating Budget Day (Special Meeting)
Tuesday, February 4, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Capital Budget Day (Special Meeting)
Thursday, February 6, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Final Budget Deliberation (Special Meeting)
Friday, February 14, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Draft 2025 Budget Version 3 (Regular Council)
Monday, February 24 at 1:00 PM
Final Approval of 2025 Budgets
Date: To be determined
These meetings are subject to change. All public meetings are available for residents to attended in person at Council Chambers (157859, 7th Line, Meaford) or online via YouTube livestream.
Get Involved in the 2025 Budget
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| Email Us |
| 2024 Budget Resources |
The 2024 Budget was adopted on February 26, 2024.Municipal staff, at the direction of Council, provided a budget with a total tax increase of 3.44%, including the County and Education portions. The average Meaford homeowner with a property assessment of $300,000, will see an increase of about $12.50/month or $150 yearly. Paper copies of the budget can be available upon request. Final 2024 Capital and Operating Budget Book 2024 Fees & Charges |
| Previous Budget Resources |
Financial StatementsConsultant Report |
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