Whitby approves $225 million 2022 budget with $40/year tax hike

Whitby residents will be paying a bit more in taxes next year as Town Council has approved their 2022 operations and capital budgets, together totalling $225 million, a 2.2 per cent increase over last year.

This budget boost will result in a $40 a year tax hike for the average Whitby homeowner to ensure delivery of essential services as the town is expected to rapidly expand in coming years amid concerns of a staffing shortfall in the Town.

In a statement the Town said, “This budget focuses on maintaining affordability and continued essential service delivery.”

Previous engagement sessions with the public found 74 per cent Whitby residents rate their quality of life either good or excellent. However, fewer than half of respondents to the town engagements were happy with the tax burden of those service.

Whitby collects three per cent of total taxes it’s residents pay. The vast majority goes to the federal government (47 per cent) and the provincial government (44 per cent).

The remaining 9 per cent goes to three branches of the municipal level, the Region of Durham (5 per cent), Whitby (3 per cent) and the school boards (1 per cent).

A Zoocasa study ranked Whitby as 17th highest property tax rate of 35 polled cities last year. While this is mid-range overall, Whitby has the second-highest in Durham Region, behind only Oshawa.

The largest portion of the budget is the Operations section, used for essential services, such as fire services, waste collection, parks and trails, maintenance of roads, community facilities, recreation centre, libraries, etc.

This piece of the budget pie rings in at $153 million, almost 70 per cent of the total. In addition to services funding it includes funding for a single new staffer and training to align Whitby with Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism (IDEA) principles.

Council had previously considered two IDEA specialists whose salaries, pensions, benefits and training costs rang up a bill of $343,500. While Council approved the two positions in January, they reversed course two weeks later. Ultimately, the budget includes only one hire.

The remaining $71.9 million, about 30 per cent, forms the town’s capital budget used to maintain infrastructure and promote the Town’s growth. Whitby is prioritizing projects highlighted by the public in the budget engagement sessions.

The town’s engagement with the public found the three biggest priorities for residents were job creation, downtown revitalization and increased green space.

“This budget helps to keep taxes low for our community while investing in the budget priorities residents said matters most to them, including more green spaces, local jobs and the continued revitalization of our two downtowns,” said Mayor Don Mitchell.

Expansion of parks and greenspace is a substantial item on the town’s bill. Whitby has earmarked $7.5 million for several projects such as,

• upgrades to the Waterfront Trail – Corbett Marsh Boardwalk, Corbett Creek Bridge;
• opening of Des Newman WhitBee and Micklefield Parks in 2022;
• a dedicated Waterfront Garbage Clean-up Crew;
• construction funding for Chelsea Hill and Lazy Dolphin parks, to be opened in 2023; and
• funding and redevelopment of Grass and King Street Parks.

Another $10 million is headed to road maintenance and safety projects like investments in road safety and traffic calming, along with new signals at the Thickson Road & Glengowan Street and Baldwin & Canary Streets.

New and improved multi-use path and sidewalk connections, similar to those undertaken in Ajax, are another priority seen in the public engagement Whitby is following through on.

Whitby is also launching a road resurfacing program that includes; Dryden Boulevard from Thickson Road to Oshawa, Canadian Oaks Drive from Thickson Road to Citation Crescent, Citation Crescent itself and, Des Newman Boulevard from Taunton Road to Twin Streams Road.

Additional elements of the capital budget include the Town’s Civic Recreation Centre renovations, which are set to finish by the end of the year and investments to expand the land and facilities of the Whitby Sports Complex.

To support the public’s first priority of job creation and third priority of revitalizing the downtowns, Whitby has several initiatives on the docket including;

• Community Improvement Plan and My Main Street grants for local businesses,
• the continued implementation of the Town’s Economic Development Strategy,
• the implementation of the Town’s Placemaking Program and Culture Plan,
• parking lot reconstruction at Green Street and Colborne Street East; and
• the installation of security cameras and equipment in the Downtown Whitby area

“I’d like to thank Town staff who have worked hard to bring forward a budget that invests in the essential service delivery our community relies on, while maintaining affordability for our residents and local businesses who are still dealing with the effects of the pandemic,” said Steve Lee, Whitby Councillor and Budget Chair, “I’d also like to thank all members of council for supporting this budget.”

The full details, and a brief of highlights, of the budget can be viewed through ConnectWhitby. This budget was finalized on in the special council meeting on February 17.