Wilmot's Budget: We Need to Start Asking More Questions

If you have opened your property tax bill over the last couple of years and wondered what is happening, you're not alone.

At the doors, property taxes come up a lot.

Residents are also dealing with higher grocery bills, utilities, mortgages and rent.

So when taxes go up significantly, I think people have every right to ask:

Why and where is the money being spent?

In 2025, Wilmot Council approved a budget with an 18.22% increase to the Township tax levy.

The Township's own budget documents talked about years of insufficient capital funding, low reserves and operating practices that were not sustainable.

Those problems didn't appear overnight. Council approves a budget every year, but it should not be reviewed once and then forgotten. It should be seen as an important tool Council uses to make decisions.

As well, in 2025 Council agreed to a plan to increase the amount raised for capital by 9% annually for the next 4 years. (This is not the same thing as agreeing to a 9% property tax increase. The capital budget is part of our property taxes and goes towards projects and reserves)

Trying to compare our budgets year to year shouldn't be this difficult

As part of this, I went back and reviewed Wilmot's budgets for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and now 2026. What surprised me was how different they are. The way information is organized, the numbers highlighted, the terminology used and the way the impact on residents is explained changes from year to year.

Before a councilor decides whether spending another $100,000, $500,000 or several million they should understand what we're already spending and what else that money could be used for.

Are our roads falling further behind? Are we putting enough money aside to replace our buildings and equipment? Are there projects we've already committed to that aren't fully funded? What are our reserves? What costs are coming because of growth? And where are residents telling us they need more investment?

Every time Council spends money on one thing, it is making a decision about what gets prioritized over something else.

It also should be noted that our last Audited Financial Statement is from 2023. It was not started until 2024 and was completed in 2025. I have reviewed numerous council agenda's and can't find where council has discussed the missing Financial Statements.

I understand that creating these Financial Statements has been difficult because we have now hired our 4'th Treasurer in 4 years... but council has been agreeing to significant expenditures and agreeing to budgets without completing our annual mandatory Financial Statements.

If elected as Mayor I will work towards a consistent reporting framework so residents and Councillors can easily compare budget to actual, year-over-year changes, staffing, reserves, capital spending, debt, tax impact and water and wastewater rates. The format can improve over time, but the basic information should remain comparable.

I will also advocate to create a Finance, Accountability & Opportunities Committee

A committee that keeps a closer eye on Township finances, looks at different ways to fund projects, and makes sure Council considers grants, partnerships, and other options before spending taxpayer dollars.

Additional Notes

2025 vs 2026 calculations

While looking through Wilmot's budgets, I came across something that confused me. In 2025, we were told the Township tax levy was increasing 18.22%, estimated to cost the average residents about $208 more a year. Then in 2026, our taxes went up 9.1%, but the estimated property tax increase was about $217.

How does an 18.22% increase equal $208, but the next year a 9.1% increase equals $217? I determined that different calculations and assumptions were being used which skewed the numbers.

If I have to dig through budget documents to figure out what these numbers actually mean, how is the average resident supposed to understand them? 

We can look to other municipalities for examples of how to help residents understand their property taxes.