By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
County taxpayers won’t see the sticker shock on next year’s tax bill in contrast to this year.
Oxford County passed a tax increase of 16.7 per cent in 2024 but this year’s document is a bit easier on the pocketbook despite being greater than the rate of inflation.
“The increase to what residential property owners paid last year will be 6.6 per cent, which equates to a $80 annual increase for the average residential taxpayer. All things being considered, I think it is a responsible budget,” said East Zorra-Tavistock Mayor and member of county council Phil Schaefer.
“We are funding what our residents have told us is important to them, and we did not reduce transfers to our reserves. These reserves will ensure the money is available to update and maintain our infrastructure.”
The Gazette asked Schaefer what next year’s budget means to residents of East Zorra-Tavistock in terms of value for money and he noted a few items residents will benefit from.
“Being a county budget, every service that the county provides and which the township residents avail themselves of will be maintained as required. Upgrades to Tavistock’s well supply and the township’s wastewater services are still in the process of environmental assessments and design.”
He added William Street in Tavistock from Woodstock Street South to Jacob Street West is scheduled to be reconstructed in a joint project between the township for the street itself and the county, which is putting in the underground service upgrades.
Schaefer admitted he would like to see more affordable housing projects in the township, but the lack of land is an issue.
“All municipalities in the county, I believe, would like to see more affordable housing. Having it become a reality is a combination of need, location, available land and interested developers and organizations. At this point, we have a very limited supply of land in the township.
Warden Marcus Ryan said this year’s budget set them up for better times in 2025.
“There were some municipalities who worked hard to get down to a single-digit budget increase every year going forward. I’m hopeful what we have done is made a change to manage the circumstances we are in now. We will be working our way back now to more normal increases in the range of inflation.”
Ryan, who has been in municipal government for 10 years, said the budget takes care of the services residents expect.
“When you turn the tap on, the water comes out and it’s safe to drink, which is in fact a good news story and municipalities generally do that quite well. When people need a paramedic and they come, that’s a good news story like when the road is plowed.”
He added the challenge in Oxford recently comes from the rate of growth the area is experiencing and having to fund it only with property taxes. Mental health, addictions and homelessness have also become budget issues, but he explained when normal services are being delivered, no one questions reasonable tax increases.
“When government is not news, to some extent that means we are doing our job. We are getting the services delivered at a reasonable price.”
The county’s $125.2-million capital plan for 2025 includes investments in water and wastewater infrastructure, roads and bridges and other infrastructure projects. It also includes a $3-million annual contribution to affordable housing reserves, with 50 new affordable housing units expected to be built in 2025 on Dundas Street in Woodstock. Coun. Mayberry put forward a motion to add another $1 million into that fund and allow staff to spend it how they see fit. That spurned some heated debate before the motion was eventually defeated, something Ryan said isn’t a bad thing.
“The one thing I would suggest residents take away from that debate is everyone was unanimous in the need to have better housing, and their mental health and addictions addressed. Where council sometimes disagrees on this issue is by degree,” he said.
Council increased annual spending to $3 million two years ago and Ryan admitted part of the debate was how much politicians ask taxpayers to foot the bill for housing when the supports for mental health and addictions aren’t there.
“You heard all those things in that debate. Forty-million dollars on the taxpayers of Oxford is too much, I think that is clear. Is $3 million enough? Somewhere in between there; so where exactly? That was the nature of the debate we had.”
He added the question that needs to be asked is how many more dollars should people be taxed for when the necessary supports, which are a provincial responsibility, aren’t there.
“Four walls and a roof for somebody struggling with mental illness and ends up self-medicating; that’s one slice of the pie they need in order to move on to a better life,” Ryan said.
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