Budget
The municipal budget is one of the most important items that Council will pass each year and affects every resident, employee, and business in the City.
Below you will find important information concerning the 2024 municipal budget process.
City Council Passes 2024 Municipal Budget
At a council meeting on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, Brockville council passed the 2024 municipal budget with a net tax levy of $43,618,442. The net residential tax rate increase is 4.9 per cent, representing an estimated annual increase of $77.52 or monthly, $6.46 per $100,000 of assessment for a residential home. An average Brockville residential property assessed at $250,000 would have an estimated annual increase of $193.81, or monthly $16.15.
The highlights of the budget include:
- $25,035,174 to support City Departments
- $91,260 in net annual savings of after bringing Para-Transit in-house
- $400,000 contribution from Fiscal Policy Reserve to smooth the 2023 Budget jump-gap
- $18,434,768 to support community partners including:
- $268,194 of MAT tax to offset the Aquatarium net budget of $642,844 (operating $450,000 and In-kind $192,884)
- $400,000 contribution from Fiscal Policy Reserve to mitigate the 63% increase, $1,039,768 from St. Lawrence Lodge, $2,686,264
- $148,500 to support community groups including:
- Brockville YMCA $120,000
- Maple View Lodge $22,000
- Sherwood Park Manor $100,000 year 1 of 5 proposed funding by debt.
The budget continued to support current service levels while also investing in capital projects:
- $3,079,908 rehabilitation of the William Street Overpass
- $1,013,850 for parks and recreation projects including:
- $450,000 for arena equipment and safety updates.
- $120,000 for Railway Tunnel light show maintenance.
- $50,000 for Laurier soccer/rugby pitch.
- $55,000 for Centeen Park steps.
- $28,000 Brock Trail
- $282,850 other parks maintenance
- $2,150,000 for road surface maintenance.
- $341,000 bridges and culverts
- $236,614 transit
- $543,800 IT infrastructure
- $1,787,300 public works equipment
- $185,410 building services
- $166,600 fire equipment
- $717,350 other facility maintenance and equipment
This link shows three pages of graphs for the final 2024 budget including; City Department Budget by Expense Category, 2024 Capital Budget Funding, and 2024 Tax Levy – City Departments & Community Partners.
How the Budget Process works
There are many factors to consider while planning a budget, such as Council priorities, service levels, and asset conditions while being fiscally responsible. Staff at the City of Brockville takes this responsibility seriously.
Municipal staff in Brockville begin working on the budget over the summer and fall months. Each Department reviews its activities and plans for the year ahead. Current and prior year’s actual expenditures are taken into consideration on each line item in detail. This information is used to project the required budget for the following year while considering, required service levels, work plans, and critical asset replacement.
Each department then meets with the City Manager, Treasurer and finance staff to review their budget requirements. This review takes a critical look at each departments proposed budget and begins the process of looking at the budget as a whole for the City. Service levels to the taxpayers of Brockville are an important consideration as well as the cost of those services. Each of the City department’s ability to perform those services requires conscientious review of work plans, required staffing level, asset maintenance, and asset replacement. It is also at this time when other funding opportunities such as Federal and Provincial grants, debt and possible cost sharing collaborations with neighbouring municipalities are considered.
This completes the preparation of the operating and capital budgets for presentation to Council.
Budget Overview
When Municipalities set budget priorities, they need a balanced approach to ensure residents enjoy the same, and in some cases, increased services.
The City of Brockville’s budget is split between operating and capital budgets. The operating budget is just as it sounds; it is the budget to run the daily operations of the City, such as public works, parks and recreation, transit, fire, police, customer service, building and planning, transit, economic development, water and wastewater. Another large component of the operating budget is maintenance on the City’s assets that are managed through an asset management system.
The capital budget is for the purchasing or constructing tangible capital assets such as equipment, vehicles and road reconstructions. The tangible capital assets are managed as well through the asset management plan.
Key Dates for 2024 Budget Deliberations
- September 26, 2023: Budget Kick Off
- October 24, 2023: User Fees
- November 14: Water and Wastewater Operating and Capital
- November 28: Community Partners; Water and Wastewater Operating and Capital; Water and Wastewater additional scenarios
- January 11: City Department Capital and Update on Community Partners
- January 23: Department Operating
- February 27, 2024 Final Budget is passed by Council
All Meeting Agendas and Meeting Minutes can be found on our Civic Web portal.
Asset Management Plan
The asset management plan is a strategy developed for the management of a municipality’s assets, including technical and financial management techniques over the life cycle of these assets. Asset management plans are used to optimize benefits, reduce risks, and provide satisfactory levels of service to the community in a sustainable and cost effective manner.
Understanding Your Tax Bill
Taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value of a property and the combined tax rates that apply. The combined tax rate is made up of two components; a municipal rate and an education rate as mandated by the Province. The education portion of a tax bill is paid to the schoolboard listed on the property with The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. The municipal tax rate is calculated by dividing the current year tax levy, approved by Council during the budget process, by the total weighted assessment for the municipality as a whole.
Click here to use our tax calculator.