County Council approves 2025 County of Renfrew budget

The County of Renfrew approved the 2025 budget during the Budget Workshop on February 6. Warden Peter Emon reviewed the budget package with Corporate Services Committee Chair Councillor Jennifer Murphy (left) and Vice-Chair Councillor David Mayville, who led the discussions during the workshop. 

RELEASE DATE:

February 11, 2025

The County of Renfrew approved the 2025 budget, with a total of $236 million in expenditures, during the annual budget workshop.

Councillors Jennifer Murphy and David Mayville, Chair and Vice-Chair respectively of the County’s Corporate Services Committee of the Whole, led County Council through the budget workshop on February 6, 2025. Through the new Committee of the Whole structure, all members of County Council had already reviewed and discussed department budgets and Chair Murphy thanked her colleagues for their engagement in the process.

The County of Renfrew remains focused on today and the future. With the budget for 2025 approved, the County of Renfrew will continue to deliver existing programs and services and will also fund several key service enhancements:

• The establishment of the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub
• Launch of a Regional Incentive Program – Hype for affordable housing
• $66.5 million in capital asset renewal
• Construction of new housing units
• Two new paramedic bases
• Continued expansion of the Algonquin Trail

The approved County levy for 2025 will rise by 5.5%. This corresponds to a $22.87 rise in residential property taxes for every $100,000 in assessed value. Given that Renfrew County's median residential property value is currently $216,000, the average homeowner would spend $940 in 2025 for the County portion of their taxes.

With these tax dollars, the County of Renfrew will be able to maintain its provision of high-quality services, including:

• Long-term Care: Operation of two facilities (346 beds total between Bonnechere Manor in Renfrew and Miramichi Lodge in Pembroke)
• Paramedic Service: Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centres; 911 response and patient transfers; Community Paramedic Program; Mesa paramedics – Mobile response teams
• Community Services: Children’s Services; Ontario Works; Community Housing, which includes responsibility for 1,029 Renfrew County Housing Corporation (RCHC) rent-geared-to-income units at RCHC-owned properties and approximately 65 municipally funded rent supplement units with private landlords; Homelessness Prevention Programs
• Public Works and Engineering: Approximately 816 kilometres of road, 75 bridges and 179 culverts; Trails (nearly 300 kilometres of the Algonquin Trail and 21 kilometres of the K&P Trail)
• Development and Property: Management of the Renfrew County Forest (53 separate forested areas of land covering 6,500 hectares), Real Property, Economic Development, Planning Services and GIS

“This process has shown us our budget is becoming increasingly complex. This budget represents an investment in our community, investment in our resources, investment in people and investments with our partners,” said Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon. “Our community depends on us to project stability and strategic awareness as we guide community development and invest in our local economy. This budget will allow us to remain both responsive and responsible as we balance fiscal prudence with the needs of our most vulnerable residents – because in tough times, some services become even more essential.”

Chair Murphy acknowledged the challenges presented during this budget cycle and striking the delicate balance between needs and wants, between immediate pressures and long-term sustainability. the importance of striking a delicate balance in terms of providing services to ratepayers while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

“I believe this budget that reflects both our vision and our responsibility to the residents we serve,” she added.

The 2025 budget was adopted as a by-law immediately following the budget presentation and discussion on Thursday, February 6, 2025.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Craig Kelley                          Chief Administrative Officer                              613-735-7288

Daniel Burke                        Treasurer                                                                 613-735-7288

Property taxes account for approximately one-quarter of the County revenues, with other sources of revenue shown in the chart below:

This graphic shows how tax dollars are distributed by department: