Media Release – HH Approves Annual Budgets

22 APR 2022

Hastings Highlands Approves Annual Budgets

Maynooth, ON – Hastings Highlands Council has approved both of the Municipality’s 2022 budgets: capital and operating. Each year, the Municipality budgets for expenditures in two areas. Spending for the capital budget is based on multiple capital plans and translates to services that have a direct impact on resident’s daily life, such as important bridge and culvert replacements, road rehabilitations, vehicles, and equipment required for critical service delivery. The 2022 capital budget was approved at $3.4 million. Spending for the operating budget is for the Municipality’s day-to-day costs of delivering services such as transportation, environmental, and fire protection services, as well as supporting the Hastings Highlands Public Library. The 2022 operating budget was approved at $10.9 million, of which 71% ($7.8 million) is funded from property taxation. The 2022 residential property tax rate was increased approximately 1.54% from the previous year in order to sufficiently fund anticipated expenditures.

Key Budget Investment Priorities:

• Transportation: $4.85 million allocated to road operations and $2.3 million for road capital projects and rehabilitations.
• Environmental: $1.16 million to fund waste and recycling services for the municipality’s nine (9) waste sites.
• Fire: $1 million of funding allocated for future capital investments into the fire service and over $700,000 budgeted for fire service operations and professional development opportunities for the volunteer fire service.

“This has been another difficult budget year due to COVID-19 and rising costs associated with inflationary impacts. After three readings, Council shaved nearly 1.5% off the initial proposed tax rate increase, while still significantly investing in the Municipality’s core services aligned with Council’s Corporate Strategic Plan,” said Mayor Tracy Hagar.

An overall summary of the 2022 Budgets can be found on the Municipality’s website: https://hastingshighlands.ca/municipal/financial-information/budget-information/

– Tracy Hagar, Mayor of Hastings Highlands ###

Tracy Hagar
Mayor
Tel: 613-338-2811
33011 Highway 62 Fax: 613-338-3292
Maynooth, ON K0L 2S0 Toll Free: 1-877-338-2818
Website: www.hastingshighlands.ca