Durham Regional Council has approved the 2025 Business Plans and Budget, which requires a net property tax increase of 7.4 per cent. The 2025 water supply and sanitary sewer user rates will increase by 5 per cent.
The Regional Council in September had accepted a cap of 4.9 per cent (see below). The region hiked property tax by 7.5 per cent, and water and sewer charges by 7.4 per cent for 2024.
Other municipalities (see below) to announce their levies for 2025 include:
- Oshawa approved a 7.87 per cent tax hike
- Clarington has proposed a 5.19 per cent tax revenue increase
- Ajax announced a 4.89 per cent rise
- Uxbridge a 4.4 per cent rise
- Whitby has set its budget with 3.99 per cent tax increase
- Pickering has proposed a 3.75 per cent levy increase
A region statement said the 2025 increase includes 4.4 per cent for Durham Regional Police Service and 3 per cent for regionally supported services. “For residents this means approximately 5.8 per cent increase in the overall property tax bill and a monthly increase of some $20 for an average residential property in Durham Region.”
The region said the 2025 water supply and sanitary sewer user rates increase of 5 per cent comes to some $5 per month for an average household. This increase supports ongoing maintenance and operation of the water supply and sanitary sewerage systems, in addition to several major projects planned for 2025, including multi-year expansion and upgrades to the Whitby Water Supply Plant.
Critical Services
The region said it is investing in critical frontline core service areas, balancing the need for taxpayer affordability and competitive property taxes, and accounting for future growth through investments our community depend on such as:
- Housing and homelessness support programs to advance the goals of At Home in Durham, the Durham Housing Plan to end homelessness in Durham and ensure affordable rent and greater housing choices for everyone, including:
- Critical investments for homelessness support and shelter programs with a focus on increasing funding available through the Region’s rent supplement program to assist those in need of affordable housing.
- Advancing the redevelopment of Durham Regional Local Housing Corporation sites at Malaga Road and Christine Crescent, 300 Ritson Road South and Phase 2 of the 1635 Dundas Street East development, with funding support from the provincial and federal governments.
- Delivering the At Home Incentive Program to support community partners in the development of additional affordable housing.
- Durham Region Transit (DRT) through increasing transit service levels, continuing to transition the DRT fleet to zero emission technologies, and investing in new transit facilities and infrastructure, innovations, and passenger amenities, including:
- An annual increase of 69,625 service hours (58,073 scheduled service hours, 11,168 On Demand hours).
- 18 new electric buses and supporting electrification infrastructure to continue to transition to a zero emission electric fleet.
- Infrastructure projects to improve customer service, enhance convenience, and meet ridership demand.
- The Region of Durham Paramedic Services to support the growing community and improve current paramedic response times including:
- 36 additional hours of paramedic services daily including 14 new paramedics (7 advanced care paramedics and 7 primary care paramedics).
- Capital investments to advance new paramedic response stations in Whitby, Oshawa, and north Durham and improve the Region’s existing stations.
- The Durham Regional Police Service to safeguard and protect our communities including:
- A 16.9 per cent increase to the budget to provide for:
- 70 additional Frontline Officers to respond to growth and an increase in frontline work.
- An additional 45 uniform and 53 civilian positions supporting investigative and operational support units.
- Capital investments in fleet and equipment.
Other major priority investments include implementation of the Region’s Corporate Climate Action Plan; investing in regional infrastructure such as road and bridge rehabilitation projects; advancing the approved GO Lakeshore East Extension to Bowmanville; ongoing investment in Durham OneNet Inc.; improving customer service through continued support of Service Durham.
“The approved 2025 Business Plans and Budget sets the standard of our commitment to supporting key priorities and delivering high-quality programs and services to the community. It reflects Regional Council’s focus on enhancing and maintaining front-line service delivery while meeting the many pressures and challenges we currently face,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO.
For more information about the Budget, visit durham.ca/Budget.
Durham Region and its municipalities are long over due to pass budget increases that are within average tax payers wage increases. This is not a long term sustainable process to yearly be exceeding this number.