United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Council has directed staff to keep the increase of the tax levy for the 2026 budget to 4.61 per cent.

At a special meeting of council on Wednesday, October 29, UCPR Treasurer Valérie Parisien presented the first draft of the 2026 budget which would have increased the total amount of taxes collected by the UCPR in 2026 by 5.61 per cent.

A one per cent increase in the levy equals $628,000. At 5.61 per cent, that would have meant an extra $27 on the tax bill for every $100,000 of residential valuation and $77 per $286,041, which is the average value of a residential property in the UCPR.

Treasurer Parisien said that separately, the UCPR is projected to collect $1.5 million in new tax revenue in 2026 due to property valuation growth of 1.4 per cent due to new development. She also noted that the average value of a residential property in the UCPR is low because the province’s assessment agency, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), has not done a reassessment since 2016.

“We’re still relying in 2026 on outdated values,” Treasurer Parisien said.

Staff are to present the second draft of the budget to council on November 12 with a targeted adoption date of November 26.

The Nation Mayor Francis Brière noted that the City of Cornwall has laid off 27 employees and there are hiring freezes at other municipalities and levels of government. The first draft of the 2026 UCPR budget proposes creating 17 new positions, something that Brière said goes against the trend.

Brière said he is concerned about families struggling financially and that the UCPR is “living in a bubble” when it comes to financial realities.

“I worry when I see 17 new hires come on,” he said.

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Stéphane Parisien said he cannot comment on what other levels of government are doing with their hiring practices and that he looks at only what is happening at the UCPR.

“This is what I feel we need to run our business,” he said.

Zanth said council could take its time, rather than adopt the budget using the proposed schedule.

“I would like to take some time and think this through,” he said, noting later adoption is not wrong and budgets are becoming more complicated with limited resources.

Brière said reductions should be made if possible because the effects of external economic challenges like US tariffs are starting to be experienced.

Zanth asked if every public works project can be done in a year.

CAO Parisien said it is not possible to get everything done.

Zanth said undone work comes back as a financial surplus.

“None of us bat 100 every day.”

However, Bouchard said “All of the work is done.”

Zanth then questioned if all of the work is done, how come CAO Parisien said it is not possible.

CAO Parisien clarified that he meant on average, it is impossible to complete everything planned in a year.

Russell Township Mayor Mike Tarnowski asked if more time could be taken than planned for the UCPR to meet the targets of its Asset Management Plan.

Treasurer Parisien said items in the draft budget meet asset management obligations, but staff made estimates that were already more conservative.

Brière suggested staff provide a report indicating which services or projects would be affected based on options of reducing the levy increase by one or two per cent.  

“What does it translate to in real life?” he remarked.

“Why not find efficiencies here? It’s not nickel and diming, it’s proper governance,” Brière added.

Riopel motioned to direct staff to keep the 2026 levy increase to 4.61 per cent.

Brière asked for staff to provide scenarios where the levy increase would be reduced by 1.5 per cent. Riopel attempted to interject.

“Mr. Riopel, we don’t have the information,” Brière protested.

Treasurer Parisien explained how in the first draft of the budget, she had presented a scenario designed to maintain services.

The motion to keep the 2026 UCPR levy increase at 4.61 per cent was adopted unanimously.