Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster yesterday said Clarington’s annual budget increase will be 4.2 per cent, on average, per year from 2024 to 2027.
“The 4.2 per cent is the annual increase to Clarington’s total municipal budget, not your individual property tax bill. Clarington’s portion of your tax bill is about one-third of the total amount you pay. Clarington’s budget increase will result in a 1.5 per cent increase to your total property tax bill, or $67 more a year for the average home. The Region of Durham, which will also impact your tax bill, has yet to pass their budget.”
This is the third 2024 budget statement released by Clarington.
The first communication was on November 20 with the public release of ‘A Plan for Growth: Clarington’s Proposed 2024-27 Budget‘. It said: “The municipality needs to invest in critical infrastructure and increasing service levels in order to respond to the needs of a growing population. To support those investments, while maintaining the financial health of the municipality, this budget proposes a net levy increase of 4.1 per cent per year from 2024 to 2027.”
The 339-page document does mention: “Levy growth was assumed to be 4.10 per cent, while new growth fluctuates over the period. In 2024, growth is assumed to be equal to 1.50 per cent of the 2023 levy, increasing to 1.75 per cent in 2025 and 2.00 per cent in 2026 and 2027. ”
The second communication was released on December 5 after the budget adoption by the council.
Good deal on taxes
In the third communication issued as a statement yesterday, Mayor Foster said: “I want to make something very clear: Clarington residents are getting a good deal on their property taxes. Compared to other nearby municipalities, Clarington has provided, and continues to provide, similar services at a significantly lower cost to the taxpayers.”
“If we compare to our municipal neighbours, Oshawa’s 2024 budget increase will result in approximately $82 more for Oshawa’s median house assessment value. In an effort to offer full transparency to our residents, we will compare and release the dollar amount increases between Clarington and other Durham municipalities as they set their 2024 budgets in the new year,” Mayor Foster promised.
He said Clarington now, and historically, has had amongst the lowest property taxes in Durham Region. “Clarington is leading the way with a multi-year budget that provides residents stability and predictability over four years. I am confident that our budget will support and enhance the amazing quality of life we enjoy in our community, now and into the future.”
You May Also Want To Read
Two pedestrians hit in Whitby and Oshawa, one dead, one serious
Youth hit with noxious spray at fastfood plaza, suspect flees
It is just creative math to mislead people. The increase is 4.2%!! Yes, only 1/3 of the property tax we pay is to the municipality. If currently, I pay $6000 in property taxes, $2000 of that is to Clarington, and the increase is 4.2% every year on that $2000. And this is every year for the next 4 years!! That means a total increase of about 18% 4 years from now (as the increase grows compounded). And I’m sure the region will raise taxes by at least the same amount. School taxes too, maybe. That means roughly $1000 more on my tax bill 4 years from now!! And it’s only ever going to up. And if this continues, in roughly 15 years my property taxes would double!! Does the town expect a retired person living on a fixed income to be able to afford $12000/year for property taxes? Or even the average tax bill of $4000/year — in 15 years if this continues, it becomes $8000/year. It’s no wonder people are leaving Canada. It’s government spending like this that makes Canada completely unaffordable, both to young people and to the elderly.