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Based on those increases, city staff say the expected tax bill for a median residential property in öÏÓãÊÓƵapp in 2027 will be nearly 40 per cent higher than it was for 2023, growing to $6,126.08 annually from $4,379.64.

Speaking with the Mercury Tribune, Mayor Cam Guthrie said just under five per cent of the 2024 budget increase “is under the oversight of city council,� with 1.98 per cent coming from local boards and shared services — such as police, libraries and public health — that the city is required to pay. The remaining 3.37 per cent, he said, is thanks to the provincial government.

“This part is transparently showing the community exactly what downloading and underfunding from the province is costing the people of öÏÓãÊÓƵapp,â€� he said, calling this part of the budget the provincial impacts local levy, or PILL, rehashing the name of a proposed but ultimately dropped tax levy he had pitched for 2023 to help cover the cost of items that are provincial jurisdiction, but have been left to the city to help pay for.

“The PILL encapsulates three things: the first one is housing legislation, like Bill 23; the second part is addressing homelessness; and the third part is our hospital, both expansions and renovations to the hospital.�

The release of öÏÓãÊÓƵapp’s draft budgets for the next four years comes the day after the provincial government released its fall economic statement. While the statement carried with it the news of a larger than anticipated deficit and the creation of the Ontario Infrastructure Bank, Guthrie said what was missing is the long-promised pledge from the provincial governments to compensate municipalities for the expected financial shortfall many are facing due to changes to how much can be collected from developers for new builds — something that is leaving öÏÓãÊÓƵapp with a forecasted $227-million shortfall over the next decade.

“I was so eager to hear them announce that they were going to make municipalities whole because I knew that it was going to impact taxpayers today if they didn’t announce what they were going to do,� he said.

“So with that lack of following through on that commitment, it now is showing itself transparently to the public through the PILL.�

Guthrie said should the Ford government reveal how it intends to reimburse municipalities for the expected financial shortfalls stemming from provincial housing legislation, he would not wait until the next budget to remove those costs from the city’s property tax base.

“I would absolutely want to have those adjustments made immediately,� he said.

Even without the portion of the budget attributed to provincial impacts, the budget increase is just shy of seven per cent, which would still put the city’s 2024 spending plan as it currently stands at the highest in years.

Guthrie said that figure comes even after city staff “deferred hundreds of millions of dollars of capital over the 10-year forecast and staff have already used reserves to lower this,� and that this figure is a reflection of worldwide economic factors such as inflation “coming home to roost for municipalities, just as they are for individuals, families and businesses.�

“Utility costs are up for families, they’re up for municipalities. Material costs are up for families; the same for municipalities. Inflation pressures are the same for individuals and businesses, the same as for cities. We are not immune to that,� he said.

THE WEEKS AHEAD

The 2024-2027 city budgets remain subject to council approval, with the first meeting to discuss the upcoming spending plans set for Nov. 7, starting at 9 a.m. The following week, Nov. 15, starting at 6 p.m., residents will be able to delegate to council what they would like to see taken out or remain in the city’s spending plans. Council is slated to vote on the budget Nov. 29.

Between those dates, there will also be several town halls hosted by city councillors in their respective wards.

“We really need the community to engage with us, to speak up, tell us what they value, tell us about affordability, and tell us about the services that are important for them between now and the 29th, when the budget is confirmed,� the mayor said.

Guthrie said he wants to see the expected budget increase go down — as for how that will happen, he said he needs to hear from the city’s residents.

“The ‘how’ is going to be a difficult discussion among the community and among council, but we must make those discussions constructive and respectful, and we have to make sure that we don’t discount service provisions to the community for the services that people need and require,� he said, adding there will also need to be a balance with maintaining the capital projects “that are vital to keeping the city moving forward� and the need to support a growing city.

“How do we balance all of that? Between now and the 29th is so vitally important that we try to figure out how we balance all of the service needs, the values and focus on affordability.�

As well as being in person, all of city council’s budget meetings will be streamed live online at .

Anyone looking to provide a delegation at the Nov. 15 meeting is required to register with the city clerk’s office no later than 10 a.m. on Nov. 10. To register, call 519-837-5603, TTY 519-826-9771, send an email to clerks@guelph.ca or go online to . Written correspondence can be sent to the city clerk’s office by the Nov. 10 deadline.