Guelph approves property tax hike in 2024

Guelph City Hall is seen on Oct. 3, 2022. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

Guelph’s 2024 property tax hike won’t be as high as initially proposed.

A draft of the city’s 2024-2027 budget estimated a 10.32 per cent increase next year.

The final budget, decided at a meeting Wednesday, now puts it at 8.52 per cent.

The city said that translates to $31 to $38 a month, or $372 to $456 a year, for the average household for each of the next four years. City utilities, meanwhile, will increase by $6.94 to $9.93 per month for the average home.

MAYOR REACTS

Mayor Cam Guthrie called it “the most difficult budget I’ve been a part of.”

“Council was able to lower the city’s portion of the budget to 3.96 per cent,” he explained in a media release. “With the addition of outside boards and agencies, along with new impacts from provincial legislation, including downloading and underfunding housing, hospital and homelessness initiatives, the total impact is 8.52 per cent. Council had tough conversations and made difficult decisions as we worked with staff and listened to the community to create value for our residents and balance the diverse needs of Guelphites. At the end of the day, the budget maintains current service levels and delivers fiscally responsible enhancements while managing the costs downloaded by the province.” 

On social media, he added: “We continue to call on the provincial government to help cities on the growing homelessness crisis, hospital funding and making us whole for their changes to housing legislation. These provincial impacts alone were greater than the entire City of Guelph’s operating and capital tax rate impact.”

INVESTMENTS

Over the next four years, $1.26 billion will be invested into the community.

The city said the money will be used on infrastructure projects, mitigating the provincial impact related to housing, and investing in paramedic services to improve emergency response times.

Other priorities include: public transit improvements, hospital expansion and renovation, creating streetscapes, and supporting the South End Community Centre and new central library.