Uxbridge deliberates 2025 budgets

DAN CEARNS The Standard

UXBRIDGE: The Township of Uxbridge Council received their 2025 capital and operating budgets. The decision came on Monday, December 2nd, after two budget meetings were held in late November.

The budget includes a tax levy increase of 2.41 percent for operating expenses and 2.98 percent for capital infrastructure.“When the Township’s tax levy increase is combined with the Region of Durham’s proposed tax rate and the Province of Ontario’s Educational Property tax rate, the estimated blended property tax increase for a resident of Uxbridge is 4.04 percent, included in that amount, the Township property tax increase is 1.51 percent,” a report from treasurer Tobi Lee stated.

At the meeting, Mayor Dave Barton stated his praise for the budget which councillors and staff collaborated on.

“What I really like about this budget is it continues to heavily invest in capital, both buildings and roads and bridges. It keeps our operating budget as low as we can run, but allowing [CAO Kristi Honey] just enough flexibility to run the corporation. I think there’s certainly lots of compromise in this one, but I think it’s a fair budget, especially with what’s going on.”

The budget includes $12.2 million in capital expenditures and operating expenditures of $27.3 million.

At a budget meeting on Tuesday, November 26th, Mayor Barton stressed the need to keep the budget lean.

“We know our goal is to make sure all of our assets are in much better shape when we leave this office than when we got here. So, roads, bridges, buildings, all of those things we will continue to invest in. But we are trying to be really careful with what we are spending from an operating perspective, trying to be as lean as we possibly can be.”