On Thursday, October 10, 2024, Bruce County Council received the draft 2025 Capital and Operating Budget. This budget is an important step to realizing the vision set out in the 2023-2026 Bruce County Strategic Plan, our Indigenous Reconciliation Framework, and the implementation of other council endorsed initiatives that are foundational in realizing the strategic vision.
In a media release, it was pointed out that the current municipal budget environment, across the province, presents challenges. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities shows that only eight cents of every tax dollar goes to municipalities while the rest goes to the provincial and federal governments. It’s municipalities however, that are responsible for much of the infrastructure and services residents use in their daily lives.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has called for a renewed funding model for municipalities through their request for a Social and Economic Prosperity Review. Their initial work showed that municipalities are, in fact, subsidizing areas of provincial responsibility. Bruce County in 2022, for instance, provided over $37 Million in additional funding for housing, health services, and social services, beyond the provincial funding for these programs.
While the pressures outlined above are real, the draft 2025 Budget keeps the levy increase moderate while focusing on keys strategic initiatives, including:
- Investing in healthcare and wellness across the County, including expanding the community paramedic program, investments in Brightshore’s mental health centre, Community Safety and Wellbeing, and primary care physician recruitment ensuring Bruce County has access to quality services.
- Funding for an Additional Residential Unit (ARU) pilot program to address housing affordability across the County.
- Implementation of the Bruce County Indigenous Reconciliation Framework, and Bruce County’s Saugeen Anishnaabek Reconciliation Pathway and Action Plan acknowledging the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON), as knowledge keepers in their traditional territory, and recognizes the unique government to government relationship with SON.
- Developing services to support innovation and resiliency in Bruce County’s Agriculture sector, including funding for the Agri-Food Innovation Grant and providing direct support to producers to access federal and provincial support programs.
- Leading the creation of a Clean Energy Transition Cluster ensuring local businesses are supported to transition to clean sources of energy.
- Implementation of Rural Homelessness Response program to reduce chronic homelessness across the County.
- Development of an Age Friendly Community strategy recognized by the World Health Organization to ensure all are welcome in Bruce County.
Importantly, the draft 2025 Budget invests in the County’s Asset Management Plan (AMP). This provides for a 2.5% investment in the maintenance of County infrastructure such as roads, bridges, paramedic stations, etc. This investment ensures the long-term sustainability of these assets.
This year’s draft budget includes a 6.81% levy (tax) increase. This increase is made up of two parts:
- 4.04% for maintaining services. This amount is the investment needed to continue to deliver the services and infrastructure that exist today.
- 2.77% of the increase is for new initiatives or assets. This increase pays for the development of new services or assets that are outlined in our strategic plan.
Bruce County Council will conduct a budget review, discussion, and direction into November with the potential for budget approval and adoption in December.
Warden Chris Peabody commented that, “Council has worked diligently over the past two years to set the strategic direction for the County. We appreciate staff tabling a 2025 draft budget that aligns to that strategy.
Council will discuss this over the coming weeks to deliver for Bruce County a budget that balances investment in needed infrastructure and services, with fiscal reasonability.”
Discover more about the 2025 draft budget at www.brucecounty.on.ca/budget. For more information on the 2025 Bruce County Budget, please contact Director of Corporate Services Sam Dinsmore at sdinsmore@brucecounty.on.ca.
