Wilmot Township approves 2026 budget with 9.2 per cent tax increase

Wilmot Township has officially locked in its 2026 budget, narrowly shaving its 9.7 property tax hike down to 9.1. CTV's Jeff Pickel reports.

The Township of Wilmot has approved its budget for the upcoming year, following weeks of deliberations and revisions.

Council gave final approval Monday night after reviewing the budget originally presented by Mayor Natasha Salonen in early January.

The proposed tax increase was reduced from 9.7 per cent to 9.2 per cent ahead of Monday’s final vote.

“So, really this budget is a reset for Wilmot. It has us budgeting appropriately for the services that we deliver,” Salonen said.

During the final meeting, council approved an additional $18,000 reduction by cutting spending on mayor and council development, conferences and events.

Salonen said the 2026 budget builds on efforts to stabilize township finances after last year’s process, which initially proposed a 50 per cent increase before ending with an 18 per cent hike.

“We weren’t budgeting appropriately and budgeting enough money, and continued to cash flow by taking from our reserves, so, this one is really to reset our financial foundation and go forward,” Salonen said.

The township also brought in consulting firm KPMG to assist with the budgeting process this year. Salonen said the firm conducted a line-by-line review using a zero-based budgeting approach.

“Every single item that’s in there doesn’t have any past assumptions,” Salonen explained. “Instead, it’s the actual costs of what we’re budgeting for and is based off of best fiscal practices.”

While acknowledging the increase is higher than she would prefer, Salonen said it’s a step in the right direction.

“The path we were headed down was not fiscally sustainable,” she said. “This has really corrected, and now we know every single assumption that goes into every line item, and that it’s based off of actual data.”

The township says key investments in the budget include replacing the HVAC system at the Wilmot Recreation Complex Aquatics Centre, advancing traffic‑calming initiatives and completing renovations at the St. Agatha Community Centre.