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Orangeville council reviews 2026 budget during special meeting

December 4, 2025   ·   1 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Orangeville’s new municipal capital and operating budget will be the final annual spending plan debated by the current slate of councillors before the next election.

And Mayor Lisa Post offered assurances that the budgetary debate will be open and free as in previous years, despite an upper hand afforded to Ontario mayors by the crowd at Queen’s Park.

“Every member of council continues to have a strong voice at this table,” Post said during a special Dec. 1 budget meeting.

Strong Mayor Power legislation was expanded to include Orangeville on May 1, with the stated intention of helping deliver on provincial priorities such as building more homes, transit, and other infrastructure. That’s when the province expanded the catchment area of the Strong Mayor Powers to include 169 additional municipalities beyond the initial number when introduced in 2022. At that time, only the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto were granted Strong Mayor Powers.

Many municipal governments have shirked the Strong Mayor Power, believing it alters local democratic governance by concentrating decision-making authority in a single individual. They have said it weakens the role of elected councils, going against collaboration and shared leadership.

Post previously said she would delegate whatever responsibility and authority she could.

Nick Garisto, a former town councillor and deputy mayor, said Orangeville residents were tapped for more than a seven per cent tax increase between the municipal and Dufferin County portions.

He said he hopes that council will work to minimize any kind of tax rate increase for 2026.

“I would hope that you work (for) zero per cent,” Garisto said. “Because I think the taxpayers of this town, they deserve it.”

He said he shells out more than $7,000 in taxes each year.

“It’s pretty tough for a senior guy,” he said.

The proposed 2026 property tax levy requirement for town services, excluding policing, is about $40.3 million, an increase of $950,000 from 2025, resulting in an estimated tax increase of 1.99 per cent.

The property tax levy requirement for policing in 2026 is $6 million, an increase of $0.6 million, resulting in an estimated tax increase of 1.36 per cent.

Combined, the estimated total tax impact is 3.35 per cent and, on an average residential property, would result in an annual tax increase of about $120.

Education and Dufferin County’s portion of a taxpayer’s annual bill hasn’t been factored in yet.

David Smith, the town’s CAO, said the 2026 municipal operating and capital budget is focused on reliable services today and readiness for tomorrow.

“The town’s proposed budget reflects that balance,” he said.

Later, he added, “Together we will keep Orangeville affordable, in a state of good repair, and ready for what is next.”

Cheryl Braan, the town’s chief financial officer and treasurer, provided a “high-level overview” of next year’s possible spending plan with deeper details to be weighed later this month.

There are competing pressures to contend with when putting together a municipal budget, she said.

“If you want low taxes and you want more services, you’re going to have to put up with more density,” she said. “Or if you want more services and you want lower density, you’re going to have to put up with higher taxes. Lastly, if you want low taxes and you want low density, you may have to entertain service cuts.”

The consumer price index (CPI), a metric for gauging inflation, is above two per cent as of October. Capital costs have escalated by about four per cent year over year.

The town’s aging assets are nearing the end of their lifespans, requiring significant investment, Braan said. Grant money from the provincial and federal governments has fallen short of inflation, and assessment growth for the 2026 tax year is low at 0.17 per cent, she said.

That growth is probably the lowest it has been in at least the last decade, Braan noted.

The significant policing costs billed by the OPP in 2025, along with any increases next year, will also weigh on the budget. Council decided to phase in last year’s bill over two years.

“The cost of OPP versus Orangeville Police Service is still much more beneficial to going with the OPP service,” Braan said. “I know we need to eventually move away from this comparison, but the history of policing costs since the transition of the OPP-delivered service suggests that the town is benefiting from transition.”

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