The 2025 budget for the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) is now official. Council adopted the budget on Wednesday, November 27 with a residential levy increase of 3.33 per cent.
When the budget process began on October 30, the increase was projected at 4.66 per cent, but the UCPR’s mayors directed staff to reduce the increase, particularly since the individual municipalities are facing much higher increases in 2025, largely due to increased costs associated with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) service.
The 3.33 per cent levy increase means that the county portion of residential property taxes will increase by $19.67 per $100,000 of valuation in 2025. The average value of a residential property in the UCPR is $284,488. Due to the 3.33 per cent levy increase, the county taxes for a property at the average value will increase by $60.20 in 2025.
As a result of the 3.33 per cent levy increase, the UCPR will collect $62,795,000 in property taxes in 2025. The total value of the 2025 budget is estimated at $184,190,400. The total of the levy increase in 2025 also includes increased tax revenue resulting from an estimated $1,242,100 in growth of the value of properties across the UCPR.
The only dissenting vote on UCPR council against the 2025 budget was from Clarence-Rockland Mayor Mario Zanth. He objects to the UCPR continuing to maintain the Cultural Fund and Regional Community Investment Fund which allows mayors to request UCPR funding for specific community projects. Zanth is deeply concerned about the ability of the regional and lower-tier levels to financially sustain operational and capital needs while allocating funds to other projects.
East Hawkesbury Mayor Robert Kirby, Alfred and Plantagenet Mayor Yves Laviolette, and Casselman Mayor Geneviève Lajoie were not present at the November 27 UCPR council meeting.
On October 30, when discussing the 2025 budget, UCPR council decided to reduce funding to the Conseil des arts de Prescott-Russell Arts Council’s (CAPRAC) to $100,000 in 2025. Funding for the Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network (EOAN) and Regroupement Autisme Prescott-Russell was reduced by 25 per cent each.
Council had also requested the termination of the Upper and Lower Tier Partnership Program. As a result, the 2025 contribution of $595,700 towards the Program’s Reserve Fund 3 was reallocated to the Municipal Road Transfer Fund (MRTF), which assists individual municipalities with the maintenance of roads under municipal—not UCPR jurisdiction. The remaining balance from the former Upper and Lower Tier Partnership Program, totalling $709,600, was also reallocated to the MRTF, increasing the yearly funding to $3,305,300.
