The 2026 budget for the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) became law on December 10, 2025.
The total value of the 2026 operations budget is $203,723,400, and the total capital budget is $10,250,600.
In 2025, the UCPR collected $64,177,800 in property taxes. According to the 2026 budget, 5.05 per cent or $4,730,700 more in property taxes will be collected, bringing the total estimated tax revenue to $68,908,500. According to UCPR Treasurer Valérie Parisien, the 5.05 per cent increase will mean that for a residential property valued at the UCPR average of $286,041 will pay about $69 more in taxes to the UCPR in 2026. The 5.05 per cent increase represents an additional $24 per $100,000 of residential assessment value.
Before the budget was adopted, Champlain Township Mayor Normand Riopel expressed concern about how additional tax revenue created through development growth is being allocated among the UCPR’s eight municipalities. He called for a more equitable system to be developed.
The growth revenue for the UCPR in 2026 is $1.42 million. Russell Township is receiving $544,000 and the remainder will go to The Nation Municipality. Both municipalities have been experiencing significant residential and commercial development due to their increasing popularity as Ottawa suburbs.
The Nation Mayor Francis Brière said the growth values are a snapshot of what the situation is for 2026 and the current principle is whatever municipality experiences the growth benefits from the growth. He said the situation could be different in future years and noted that municipalities experiencing the growth have had to make investments to enable the development.
“They’ve obviously had to invest and spend more money to get to that point,” Brière said.
However, he did agree that a more equitable method is needed.
Russell Mayor Mike Tarnowski said the revenue from growth is not a reward because the municipalities are paying for the infrastructure that facilitates the growth. He too said changes are necessary.
Riopel said he understands Brière and Tarnowski’s point of view and would argue the same if he were in their positions, but if others were willing to compromise, there would be modest savings for the other municipalities.
Hawkesbury Mayor Robert Lefebvre said a lot of the growth-related expenses for municipalities are user-fee financed such as water and sewer systems which do not necessarily benefit other municipalities.
“We need to have a better, longer discussion on issues of that nature,” Lefebvre said.
Brière insisted receiving the UCPR tax revenue from growth is simply a mechanism of cost recovery.
“It’s not profit, we’re recouping our costs,” he said.
Both Riopel and Lefebvre voted against the adoption of the 2026 UCPR budget. However, it was apparent that the differences between mayors on the budget were only philosophical. Tarnowski and Riopel were seated beside each other, and they smiled and shook hands following the vote.
