Ajax Council has approved the town’s 2022 Operating Budget.
Combined with Durham Region’s 1.42 per cent tax rate impact, the overall increase on the average residential tax bill is expected to be 2.31 per cent or $10 per month.
The year-over-year budget is up 2.86 per cent resulting in a 0.89 per cent impact on the town’s share of the residential tax bill, said a media release.
For the upcoming year, this share equates to $9.76 per $100,000 on the assessed property value as provided by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), it added.
In addition to maintaining service levels, providing for the increasing costs of doing business and balancing the impacts of Covid-19, the 2022 budget funds 12 new businesses cases which will support critical town work and services enhancements, said the statement.
Highlights of the approved $79 million budget include:
- Twenty new firefighters;
- Thirteen corporate positions to build capacity within Innovation and Technology, Parking Enforcement, Operations and Environmental Services, and Planning and Development;
- Transferring Archival Services to Ajax Public Library;
- $550,000 to implement IT initiatives (workforce technology, hardware replacement program and cyber and network security service);
- $278,000 to administer automated speed enforcement;
- $260,000 to expand winter control operations;
- $180,500 to reserve allocations from tax assessment growth and;
- Capital investment in new Ajax Library MakerSpace.
“Our 2022 Budget focuses on maintaining and improving town services, while prioritizing affordability for our residents and businesses. Council is making substantial investments to our firefighting service, and making our roads safer through automated speed enforcement. We are moving forward with the Ajax Library MakerSpace, which will give local creators and small businesses access to tools they need to thrive. I believe this budget does a great job balancing the future needs of the organization, council’s goals, and keeping taxes steady while increasing levels of service as we continue to grow,” said Mayor Shaun Collier.
Announced 2022 Durham Tax Increases
3.89% – Uxbridge
2.6% – Durham Region
2.31% – Ajax
2% – Scugog
2.2% – Whitby
1.99% – Clarington
1.85% – Oshawa
4.54% – DRPS
“Thank you to town staff for their work preparing and bringing forward this fair and balanced budget that protects service levels and drives the growth of our community. Thanks to the Safe Restart Grant and Covid Recovery funding agreements, received from the provincial and federal governments in 2021, we are able to offset continued pandemic expenditures such as increased cleaning, purchase of PPE, the addition of uniformed security, and revenue losses due to the pandemic. Alleviating the burden of pandemic costs creates the opportunity for a forward thinking budget with investments in technology, staff, and public safety,” added Lisa Bower, Budget Chair.
Quick Facts
- On February 28, 2022, Ajax Council approved the town’s 2022 Operating budget. Watch the February 14 Operating Budget meeting here.
- On December 13, 2021 Ajax Council approved the town’s 2022 Capital Budget & 2023 – 2031 Long Range Capital Forecast. Watch the November 29, 2021, 2022 Capital Budget & 2023 – 2031 Long Range Capital Forecast meeting here.
Additional Resources:
- Download 2022 TOA Budget Snapshot Infographic at ajax.ca/budget2022
- Review the approved budgets here
- Town’s property tax calculator
- Visit www.mpac.ca