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Councillor Jennifer Murphy, Finance and Administration Committee Chair, and Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon led the 2023 Budget Workshop discussions.
RELEASE DATE:
February 23, 2023
The County of Renfrew has approved its budget for 2023 during the annual budget workshop.
County Council met February 22 and 23, 2023, with the budget workshop being led by Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon and Councillor Jennifer Murphy, Chair of the County’s Finance and Administration Committee. Both commended staff for the hard work that went into formulating the budget documents and elected officials for working through the process to make difficult decisions in the challenging budget year.
The County of Renfrew continues to adopt the principles outlined in the long-term financial plan, ensuring that the County remains focused on today and the future. With the budget for 2023 approved, the County of Renfrew will continue to operate and deliver all of its existing programs and services and will also fund several key service enhancements.
The 2023 approved County levy will increase by 2.5%, excluding new assessment growth. This translates into a residential property tax impact of $9.88 increase per $100,000 of assessed value. The median residential property value in Renfrew County currently sits around $203,000, meaning that a typical homeowner would see an impact of $20.06 for 2023 on the County portion of the tax bill. With a very modest tax rate increase of 2.5%, the County of Renfrew can continue to deliver high quality services to our community such as two long-term care homes, paramedic services, and community services.
“I want to thank our staff for bringing forth some difficult recommendations,” said Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon. “When making these difficult decisions, you have to consider the information that is in front of you, consider what is important today and what is going to be important tomorrow. I think we’ve made the right decisions today and managed to not compromise our level of service. Thank staff for offering guidance coming into the process and through the past day and a half.”
The Warden also thanked members of council for their patience, especially new members around the table, as they engaged in respectful dialogue to move the process forward in a productive manner.
“I am proud to work alongside both County Council and County of Renfrew staff who are ensuring that we continue to focus on affordability for our residents while providing quality services to our community.”
Chair Murphy acknowledged the challenges presented during this budget cycle but commended elected officials and staff on their efforts to find savings within their respective areas of the budget.
“We have a very effective and efficient budget process that allows Council to debate, review and approve a budget that provides clear direction to our staff, allowing them to do their jobs and deliver services to our residents in a timely manner,” she said.
A recommendation for the 2023 budget was adopted as a by-law immediately following the budget presentation and discussion on Thursday.
Additional Information for Consideration:
With only a modest 2.5% increase in municipal taxation, County Council was able to ensure that quality services provided by the County of Renfrew continue to be available for Renfrew County residents, including:
- A $43 million in capital asset renewal
- Addition of a new ambulance and crew staffed 24/7
- Investments in active transportation via major upgrades to the Algonquin Trail and hardened shoulders on County roads
- Investing in many community services initiatives, including increased capacity for affordable housing in Renfrew County
- Ongoing support for 1,020 rent-geared-to-income housing units
- Continued support for subsidized Child Care and Ontario Works
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Foss Director, Corporate Services 613-735-7288
Craig Kelley Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk 613-735-7288
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