Mayoral Candidates on Taxes
Owen Sound taxpayers have experienced property-tax increases that, in our view, have exceeded what can reasonably be justified by inflation and population growth. Would you support a policy limiting annual property-tax increases to the rate of inflation unless Council can demonstrate a compelling reason to exceed it? If you would support exceeding inflation, what circumstances would justify doing so?Carol Merton
Residential taxes are still higher than is financially comfortable for many in our community. The operating and capital budgets require a review from the lens of core, basic and mandated services. The facilities condition assessments and asset management information identify a significant funding gap to be able to maintain to maintain and upkeep the City facilities. Any potential growth of the tax base from new residential development will not adequately broaden the tax base to cover these expenditures.
Additionally, upcoming union contract negotiations, anticipated and yet to be finalized tariffs on supplies, services, and impact on Request for Proposal and tender submissions are factors that need to be included as well as the rate of inflation. This requires adaptability and refinement for both operating and capital budgets. As stated by the
City of Owen Sound, "Implementing the Service Review Priority Opportunity Action Plan has created the first-of-its-kind, three-year work plan for the City Manager and Strategic Leadership Team, elevating the accountability and transparency of the organization." A Service Review Ad Hoc Implementation Committee will continue until November 2026. The reports found
here
identify actions taken and savings to date.
There is more work to be done to address the cost of government and the services provided to the residents of Owen Sound. A new Committee structure will roll out in 2027 and cost of services provided as well as external factors and their impact needs to be a responsibility of each Committee.
Richard Thomas
Tax increases are not determined by population or consumer inflation. Tax increases are tied directly to the fixed costs of running the city, including infrastructure, vehicles, programming, insurance, and services provided to residents.
I would love to say that I would support a policy limiting property tax increases as I am a city taxpayer too, but municipal inflation is not the same as consumer inflation. Municipalities buy construction materials, heavy equipment, insurance, utilities, engineering, policing, emergency services and unionized labour. These costs can rise faster than CPI. Municipalities also face mandatory regulatory and infrastructure obligations that cannot always be deferred. The strong Mayor's Act has taken the budget process out of staff hands, and made it the responsibility of the mayor. I plan to return the process to a transparent council-based process, with public input. The results will then be tabled as the mayor's budget.
I do not support an inflation-based budget cap.
Andrii Zvorygin
I would use a stricter standard than inflation: what Owen Sound households can afford to pay. Inflation means residents are already paying more for food, housing, energy, transportation and other essentials. When wages and pensions lag behind those costs, increasing property taxes at the same rate compounds the loss of household purchasing power.
At the beginning of each budget, the Mayor and Council should publish a household affordability limit using the best available information on local incomes, wages and pensions, essential living costs, tax and water arrears, and the existing municipal burden per household. The goal should be to keep property taxes stable or declining as a share of median local household income. Growth-related costs should first be matched with new assessment revenue and applicable development charges.
Municipal budgeting should begin with household and physical reality. As inexpensive energy and material inputs become harder to secure, the costs of fuel, machinery, construction, insurance and public services can rise while household purchasing power falls. Passing every increase through to taxpayers would steadily impoverish the community. Those pressures require the City to adapt rather than automatically pass higher costs to households. Essential services must be planned within what residents can sustain, with long-range preparation for a smaller material and financial resource base.
Any increase beyond the household affordability limit should be limited to a legal requirement, emergency, immediate public-safety need or critical infrastructure failure. It should be presented separately with its cost per household, duration, alternatives and offsetting savings. The City Manager provides professional advice, while the Mayor proposes the budget and Council can amend it. Final accountability belongs to elected officials.
Relevant platform: Lower Property Taxes Through Better Government
and
Zero-Based Budgeting and Finding Efficiencies.