2022-2024 Budget

Each year, the Township of South Stormont creates an operating budget and a capital budget for the upcoming year. In 2021, the decision to expand the budget to encompass a three year period, from 2022-2024. By expanding the budget process to cover three years, it gives Council a blueprint for spending over multiple years. The budget is annually reviewed by council, allowing for flexibility for amendments each year.

There are many factors that affect the Township's budget and Council provides direction to balance necessary costs and priorities while maintaining the service levels that our community expects. Activities and projects for the Township are directly tied to the 2023-2027 Strategic Action Plan.

2024 Budget Approved

On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, Council for the Township of South Stormont officially adopted the 2024 Municipal Operating and Capital Budgets.

“This was a very difficult budget process,” says Mayor Bryan McGillis. “We are certainly experiencing some financial pressures to meet the needs of our residents with the rising costs experienced across the country. I would like to extend my thanks to my fellow Council members and our senior staff for their hard work throughout the process to bring forth a budget that addresses South Stormont’s current needs, while maintaining an eye towards the future.”

To maintain legislated and expected service levels, increases of 5.5% for capital projects and 4% for municipal operations have been implemented for 2024. The United Counties levy increase of 4.36%, combined with the Township’s increase of 9.5%, represents a total blended increase of 5.9% for South Stormont homeowners. This equates to an increase of $13.17 per month for a median household assessed at $210,000.

Property taxes amount to 48% of total revenue required for the 2024 municipal budget. The remaining revenues are derived through grants, user fees, rents, investments, land sales and reserves.

In addition to municipal operations, some key projects and initiatives included in the 2024 budget are:

• Interior LED lighting upgrades to 12 Township facilities, supported by provincial grant.
• Phase 2 of communications upgrades for South Stormont Fire and Rescue.
• Accessible concrete walkways throughout the Lost Villages Museum complex, supported by provincial grant.
• Rombough Road pulverization and paving.
• Dafoe Road double surface treatment.
• Additional snowplow.
• 5.5% dedicated to Capital Projects.

Where do my taxes go?

When taxes are paid in South Stormont, they are distributed to the Township of South Stormont, the United Counties of SDG, and the local school boards. It is important to recognize this distribution to understand where your tax dollars go. While the Township and United Counties are responsible for establishing their own tax rates, the education portion of the overall tax levy is established by the Province of Ontario. While the distribution of tax dollars collected changes slightly each year, the chart below shows the distribution for the 2023 Tax Levy.

What revenue sources contribute to the Municipal Budget?

There are a variety of sources of revenue that contribute to the annual budget and allow the Township to provide the necessary services to the community. Taxation represents less than half of the revenue required to provide those services, with the remainder of the budget expenditures made up from things like provincial and federal grants, user fees, and land sales, for example.

The chart below outlines the revenues for the Township in 2024 that all contribute to the Municipal Budget.

How are my 2024 tax dollars allocated in South Stormont?

The infographic below will outline how each dollar of tax revenue retained by the Township is allocated in the 2024 Municipal Budget. As the Township does not retain all of the tax dollars collected in South Stormont (the United Counties of SDG and the Province retain the majority of tax dollars collected at the Municipal level), the infographic below indicates only those dollars that are retained by the Township of South Stormont.