Wilmot residents weigh in on proposed 51 per cent tax hike

People in Wilmot had their say as they potentially face down an almost 51 per cent tax hike.

The Township of Wilmot held a public meeting Tuesday night about the proposed 2025 budget.

As it currently stands, the township’s portion of the residential tax is set to increase by 50.87 per cent. That would mean the average homeowner would pay an additional $514 on the township’s portion of their tax bill.

To compare, 2024’s tax hike was 10.8 per cent.

Nineteen people spoke during the meeting as residents packed council chambers and an overflow room almost reached capacity.

“[For] a council to come up with a figure like [a] 50 per cent tax increase is pretty rough for a guy like me on a fixed budget,” speaker David Bricker told CTV News.

“Other municipalities are talking around six, seven, eight, nine per cent [increases],” said Bricker. I can't pay for mismanagement of past councillors or present councillors.”

Wilmot has historically has one of the lowest tax rates in their area. If the proposed rate is approved, it would bring the township’s overall rate more in line with what their neighbours currently pay.

However, even the mayor said she was shocked by the increase when she first saw it.

In a previous interview (https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/township-mayor-and-residents-react-to-wilmot-s-proposed-50-87-tax-hike-1.7163390) Mayor Natasha Salonen said, “I think that we really need to be cognizant and work as a council to ask those right questions and get us towards a budget that both can set us on a good financial direction, but also is something that is reasonable for our residents.”

While speaking with CTV News on Tuesday, Salonen once again acknowledged the difficult situation council and residents are facing.

“I think this has really highlighted the historical decisions that have led to our financial position, which is not a healthy one at this point in time,” she said.

Resident Rory Farnan also spoke to council. He believes there needs to be some balance.

“You can't go from one extreme to the other,” said Farnan.

“I think the problem that we have is that we've neglected this situation for the last two decades, but we're trying to correct it within a year or two years. That just is too much of a burden for the taxpayers to bear.”

Council plans to discuss the budget again on Jan. 16 and 27. They hope to come up with a final number then.