Hawkesbury Town Council has adopted the 2025 municipal budget, but a revised edition will be adopted again in January or February.

Council decided to adopt the budget on Monday, December 9 even though the tax levy increase will eventually change due to recently announced provincial funding to offset the cost of OPP services.

The budget adopted on December 9 contains a 9.83 per cent levy increase which means $1,232,807.00 more in property taxes will be collected. Council had previously told staff to aim for a 9.5 per cent increase. However, due to provincial funding announced on November 29, the town could receive up to $506,000 to offset the $567,000 increase in policing costs that was comprising more than half of the projected levy increase.

The total value of the Town of Hawkesbury’s operations budget for 2025 is $ 26,867,082, which is 7.25 per cent more than the 2024 operating budget of $25,050,975.

Councillor Jeanne Charlebois asked if the provincial funding for policing costs was included in the budget presented on December 9.

Mayor Robert Lefebvre said the amount will be included in the amended budget when it is presented to council.

Treasurer Philippe Timbers said by adopting the budget on December 9, the town could go ahead with operational expenditures it needs to undertake. An adjusted levy increase rate will be established once the OPP funding is fully known and received.  

Charlebois was hopeful that the OPP funding and eventual reduced levy will benefit taxpayers.

“We’ve got to give them a break somewhere. I’m not saying everything, but some of it, should go back to the taxpayers,” she said.

Charlebois would like to see the taxpayers benefit, rather than adding more expenses.

Councillor Julie Séguin said she would rather wait and adopt the budget once the OPP funding is fully known and a final levy amount can be decided.

“There are years it has been adopted in January,” Séguin noted.

Councillor Antonios Tsourounakis said he would rather adopt the budget on December 9 and make the necessary changes later.

“I think it’s prudent we adopt it now so we don’t delay any operational issues, and the rate, we will fix that later,” he said.

Tsourounakis added that he believes this is an opportunity to make even further adjustments and potentially add expenditures that had previously been cut.

“The only thing I wouldn’t do that with, is the Multicultural Festival, only because that was a grant,” he remarked.

Tsourounakis added it was great to have the federal grant for the festival, but he is not sure about spending further “exorbitant” amounts of money on the event.

Séguin voted against adoption of the budget bylaw.

In January or February 2025, a revised budget will be presented to council. In March 2025, property owners will receive their interim 2025 property tax bill, based on 2024 rates. In May 2025, the 2025 tax rates will be presented to council. At that time, the Town of Hawkesbury will provide a full explanation of the real impact that will be felt on the final property tax bill. In September 2025, property owners will receive the final 2025 property tax bill. This final bill will be adjusted according to the tax rate adopted in May 2025.