The United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG) completed and unanimously passed their 2025 budget on December 3. The budget totals $87.4 million, with an additional $3,633,598 coming from property tax revenue.
For residential properties, an estimated 4.89 per cent tax increase will be implemented. The property tax rate for residential properties is determined by utilizing the assessed value of a property and will range between an additional $100-200 per resident in 2025 for those with an average home value of $225,000 to $275,000.
The numbers released in the 2025 budget are estimates and have not yet been confirmed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.
“Balancing our financial responsibilities while maintaining essential services has been a difficult task,” Warden Jamie MacDonald stated, also referring to the large costs of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in the province.
$1.1 million will be given to the region from the Province of Ontario to offset the increasing OPP budget in the region, which now sits at approximately $10.3 million, representing a one-year increase of $361,000 for SDG.
Major projects are also coming to SDG and include approximately $17.8 million in investments over 2025.
Significant projects in the region include 48.7 kilometres of road resurfacing at the cost of $12.65 million, 10.8 kilometres of road microsurfacing at $505,000, aiding in the Maxville Manor redevelopment project with a $1.5 million contribution, replacing the Inkerman Bridge at the cost of $1.9 million, and rehabilitating the Lunenburg Bridge for $1.2 million.
“SDG Counties Council understands the pressures our residents are under, with respect to affordability and the cost of living for staples like groceries, home heating and transportation. We took these pressures into account in approving a budget that is lean, prudent, and forward-thinking,” MacDonald said.
