Protecting and maintaining essential service delivery for an additional 12 cents per day

Whitby, February 18, 2022 – Last night, at a Special Council meeting, Whitby Town Council approved the Town’s 2022 Budget, concluding the 2022 budget process. The approved budget will result in a 2.2 per cent Town increase or an estimated 0.8 per cent increase on the overall residential bill for Town services. This represents an increase of approximately 12* cents per day, per household for the delivery of important services residents rely on every day, like waste collection, snow clearing and parks maintenance. This budget focuses on maintaining affordability and continued essential service delivery.

The 2022 Budget includes a $153.3 million operating budget that will support the delivery of a wide range of programs and services including fire services, waste collection, parks and trails, maintenance of roads and community facilities, recreation, libraries and many other important services. The budget also includes funding for one new staff position and corporate training to support the recommendations of the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism) Project.

The approved budget also includes a $71.9 million capital budget to support new infrastructure required due to growth and keep existing infrastructure in a state of good repair. The approved capital budget includes priorities residents shared were important to them through the Town’s budget engagement process earlier this year, like:

• $7.5 million in Whitby’s green spaces and the waterfront, including:
  • 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.
• Nearly $10 million in roads to improve connectivity and safety, including:
  • investments in road safety and traffic calming, and various signalization projects, including signals at Thickson Road and Glengowan Street, Baldwin and Canary Streets
  • new and improved multi-use path and sidewalk connections; and
  • a road resurfacing program that includes:
    • Dryden Boulevard (from Thickson Road to Oshawa)
    • Canadian Oaks Drive (from Thickson Road to Citation Crescent)
    • Citation Crescent
    • Des Newman Boulevard (from Taunton Road to Twin Streams Road).

• Investments in recreation, including:
  • the completion of the Civic Recreation Complex renovations by the end of 2022, including new accessible family or universal change room space; and
  • the purchase of additional land for the Whitby Sports Complex and finalization of designs for a larger facility in 2022; construction planned for 2023

To support local job creation and the continued revitalization of Whitby’s downtowns, the approved budget also includes:

• 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 CCTV cameras and equipment in the Downtown Whitby area.

To support low income seniors and low income homeowners with disabilities, the Town’s tax rebate program has been increased by 15.5 per cent (from $400 to $462) in 2022 and will be indexed annually.

The approved budget is available online at connectwhitby.ca/budget. For comments or questions about the budget, contact the Financial Services Department at treasury@whitby.ca or by phone at 905.430.4300 x1952.

QUOTES

“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. I’d also like to thank all members of council for supporting this budget.”

-        Steve Lee, Councillor and Budget Chair, Town of Whitby

“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.”

-        Don Mitchell, Mayor, Town of Whitby

QUICK FACTS 

• The approved budget will result in a 2.2 per cent increase or an estimated 0.8 per cent increase on the overall residential bill for Town services. This represents an increase of approximately 12* cents per day, per household.
• Only 9 per cent of all taxes the average household pays are property taxes and 3 per cent of the taxes you pay go to the Town of Whitby.
• The Town’s portion of the total property tax bill is 34 per cent. The Town is responsible for collecting property taxes on behalf of the Region of Durham and the School Boards.
• Whitby remains mid-range for the local taxes paid on a home assessed at $503,000 among Durham lakeshore municipalities.
• The budget approved by Council considered the community feedback collected through the Town’s Citizen Budget Tool, which saw nearly 2,000 people engaged in the budget process. Through the tool:
  • almost half of participants indicated comfort with the current levels of Town services and taxation, representing the majority of the responses received.
  • nearly three-quarters of participants reported they enjoy a “good” or “excellent” quality of life in Whitby.
  • top budget priorities shared by participants were local job creation, more green spaces and the continued revitalization of the community’s downtowns.

MORE INFORMATION

The approved 2022 Budget is available online at connectwhitby.ca/budget. Results of the 2022 Citizen Budget Tool can also be viewed on Connect Whitby.

* Approximately 12 cents per day (or $43 per year) is based on the 2021 average residential assessment value of $503,000 as determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Erin Mikaluk, Manager, Communications and Creative Services, Town of Whitby

Phone: 289.314.6913; Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca