Steph Goertz
Taxes • Budget
Wilmot Council has six members. If elected as Mayor, I will have one vote. I can bring ideas forward, advocate for policy changes, ask questions, work with other members of Council and build support—but I cannot promise how other members will vote.
Below are some of the policies or actions I will take for this specific topic
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Taxes & Budget
Rising taxes are putting a strain on residents and businesses. It is important for our township to look at day-to-day operations, but we also need to look at the bigger picture..
Council's job isn't to prepare the budget. Our job is to ask the right questions before we approve it.
In 2025, Staff recommended that our property taxes be increased by 51%.
Instead, Council decided to increase property taxes by 18.22 % and then by 9% annually through 2028, to increase capital funding, including reserves. At this time, the last audited financial plan was completed in 2022.
If elected, I will investigate if the new council will have to continue that plan exactly as adopted or if we can find alternative ways to address our infrastructure needs.
In 2026, our property taxes increased by 9.1%; however, our last financial statement was for 2023, completed in 2025. That concerns me.
Council has continued to approve annual budgets, major infrastructure spending, new administrative positions and salary increases for the next term of Council
Audited statements are an important independent check on the Township's actual financial position. Before making major long-term spending decisions, I believe Council and the public should have the most current financial information possible.
Create a Finance and Accountability 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. That would fit very well in one of the four boxes
Major projects should come to Council with alternatives
That means asking: Can we phase it? Partner with a service club, business or another government? Use a grant? Generate revenue from part of the project? Deliver it differently?
Tax-arrears homes and properties
We should also look more carefully at homes and properties that are headed toward a municipal tax sale because the property taxes have not been paid. Before one of these properties is simply sold, I want the Township to ask whether it could be useful to the community. For example, if it is a large property, could we keep part for a park, trail or future municipal need and sell the rest? Could an old house or property be cleaned up, divided or rezoned where appropriate so the surplus land is worth more? If the Township has a legitimate municipal reason to acquire a property, we should look at that option instead of automatically letting the opportunity pass. Any land we do not need could then be sold competitively at fair market value, with the net proceeds going toward infrastructure or reserves. That could help us meet community needs, make better use of land, and bring in revenue without always turning to property-tax increases.
Use residents’ priorities to guide budget decisions
Residents should have a stronger voice in how tax dollars are spent. I would bring community priorities into the budget process earlier so Council can better understand what people want protected, improved or delayed before major spending decisions are made.
Make Township finances easier to understand and more transparent
Residents should be able to quickly understand where their tax dollars are going, but the full details should also be available for people who want to look deeper. I would push for simple public summaries backed by detailed information on spending, debt, reserves, contracts, major projects and budget-to-actual results. The goal is both clarity and transparency: an easy overview for most people, with the ability to drill down into the numbers when more detail is wanted.