Challinor, Krantz, Oppose Town of Milton 2025 Operating Budget
Milton Mayor Gord Krantz and Town of Milton Ward 2 Local Councillor John Challinor II opposed the Town’s 2025 Budget, which increased Town expenditures by 9.89 percent, resulting in local property taxpayers paying 6.5 percent more for Town, Region of Halton and education services.
A typical detached home in Milton, which had a market value of $1,334,400 as of January 1, 2025, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, but with a 2016 assessed value of $671,827, will pay $5,549 in property taxes, a $339 increase over 2024.
Similarly, a typical townhouse, which had a market value of $776,300 as of January 1, 2025, according to TRREB, but with a 2016 assessed value of $439,430, will pay $3,629 in property taxes, a $222 increase over 2024.
Finally, a typical condominium, which had a market value of $603,400 as of January 1, 2025, according to TRREB, but a 2016 assessed value of $321,256, will pay $2,653 in property taxes, a $162 increase over 2024.
While Mr. Challinor was supportive of most of the measures advocated by Town staff in the draft budget brought before Council for approval in early December, he felt that a 4 percent tax increase was more appropriate and, further, it could be achieved by a $2.5 million reduction in discretionary spending found in the $40 million purchased goods and services line.
Further, to help to permanently relieve the annual operating budget pressure on property taxpayers, Mr. Challinor recommended the establishment of two reserve funds in 2024: the first to generate $1 million annually to build the Town’s infrastructure reserve, thus completely relieving the municipality’s operating budget and property taxpayers of that obligation; and a second reserve to generate $1 million annually to offset significant operating budget increases, thus, once again, providing some fiscal relief for property taxpayers while backstopping the annual operating budget. The establishment of the second reserve was approved by Council in 2024, but has yet to be implemented. The fiscal relief afforded by both reserves annually would equate to a 2 percent reduction in the impact of the current operating budget on local property taxpayers.
“Canada is clearly in recession, interest rates are still too high, food inflation is continuing unabated and an increasing number of Miltonians are defaulting on their mortgages or not paying their property taxes — or both, “ he explained. “The coming year is going to be particularly difficult for those 60 percent of Miltonians whose mortgages are coming due for renewal by the end of 2026. The Town of Milton’s 2025 Budget needed to reflect that reality and Milton Council needs to respond to the challenges faced by Milton property owners, particularly seniors and young families, by taking strategic, thoughtful and, ultimately, fiscally responsible steps to control spending.”
Mr. Challinor further suggested that future years will be uncertain, especially in national and global economic terms as well as in terms of meaningful financial participation by the senior levels of government in helping the municipality to fund programs and services or partially underwrite its infrastructure requirements. CR