Half a million dollars keep Whitby tax rise lowest

How did Whitby manage to keep the 2021 property tax rise the lowest so far in Durham?

Half a million dollars in savings were identified by town staff and removed from the budget to help keep taxes low, with no impact on service levels, says a statement from the town.

On 25 February at a special meeting, Whitby Town Council approved the town’s proposed 2021 Budget. The approved budget will result in a 0.55 per cent increase on the total residential bill for town services or $2.57 per month per household*, helping to keep taxes low during the pandemic, while protecting and maintaining the delivery of the essential services to the community.

Other Durham municipalities have 2021 tax increases as high as 2.58 per cent.

The approved budget takes into consideration feedback collected through the Town’s 2020 Community Survey and Citizen Budget Tool, which saw more than 2,000 participants this fall. Through both engagements, the majority of residents indicated comfort with the current levels of Town services and taxation. More than 80 per cent also reported they felt they are getting “good” or “very good” value for their tax dollars and enjoy a “good” or “excellent” quality of life in Whitby.

Whitby Citizen Budget Tool – From October 2 to 30, nearly 500 residents participated in the Town’s new Citizen Budget Tool, sharing their budget priorities. The tool had more than 10,000 page views, 1,330 plus site visitors and more than 240 comments. In the tool, 81% of participants reported their overall quality of life as excellent (26%) or good (55%). Budget priorities identified for 2021 include Community Services, such as parks, recreation and green spaces and Economic Development Services, including attracting more local jobs. 58% of residents are comfortable with the Town’s current level of taxation and services. Top reasons the majority of residents are comfortable with the current taxation and service levels include: easy access to other regions, green spaces, liveable and enjoyable town, and sports and recreation programs.

The approved budget is available online at connectwhitby.ca/2021budget. For comments or questions about the budget, contact the Financial Services Department at treasury@whitby.ca or by phone at 905.430.4300 x1952.

“I’d like to thank town staff who have worked hard to bring forward a budget tonight that is fiscally responsible and recognizes the significant impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on our residents and local businesses, and costs to the town. This budget looked to keep taxes low, and cut costs where possible while still supporting our community as best we can during this time. I’d like to thank all members of council for recognizing that fact and supporting this budget,” said Steve Lee, Councillor and Budget Chair.

“In addition to keeping taxes low and maintaining our assets and service levels, this budget advances key community needs including major renovations to the Civic Recreation Centre and the new North Whitby Sports Complex,” added Don Mitchell, Mayor, Town of Whitby.

Quick Facts

  • The town’s overall tax impact equates to about 9 cents per day, $2.57 per month or $31 per year on the average residential tax bill*.
  • Half a million dollars in savings were identified by Town staff and removed from the budget to help keep taxes low, with no impact on service levels.
  • Roads, recreational facilities and parks represent the highest capital investments in the 2021 Budget, aligned with the results of the 2020 Community Survey and Citizen Budget Tool. Examples include:
    • playground equipment and play area renewals at six parks
    • trail and multi-use path extensions, including the Hydro Electric Power Corridor Trail from Longwood Park to Thickson Road
    • 10 kilometres of road resurfacing
  • Only 9 per cent of all taxes the average household pays are property taxes and 3 per cent of the taxes you pay go to the Town of Whitby.
  • The town’s portion of the total property tax bill is 34 per cent. The town is responsible for collecting property taxes on behalf of the Region of Durham and the School Boards.

* Based on the 2020 average residential assessment value of $503,000 as determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC)

Municipal Property Tax Chart

To help manage these year-over-year costs, expenses in the municipal budget are broken down into two categories: operating and capitalbudget.

Operating Budget:

This accounts for the cost of operating day-to-day services in the Town including:

  • Fire and Emergency services
  • Town Facilities (e.g. Iroquois Park Sports Centre, Whitby Public Library, Port Whitby Marina, Brooklin Community Centre and Library and Town Hall).
  • Recreation programs
  • Road maintenance
  • Waste Collection
  • Debt payments and transfers to reserves

Capital Budget:

The capital budget consists of larger investments that help us prepare for our community’s future growth. Examples of capital expenses may include:

  • Infrastructure development, building and construction projects (e.g. building new roads, sidewalks multi-use paths, bike lanes and bridges)
  • Park and greenspace improvements
  • Fleet expansion and maintenance (e.g. purchasing new fire trucks and snow plows)

Related Stories:

Whitby approves 0.55% rise in 2021 property tax

Durham Council raises property tax by 1.98%

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