EZT set to pass 2026 budget

By Lee Griffi

Barring an April Fool’s Day change of mind, East Zorra-Tavistock (EZT) ratepayers are set to pay 3.17 per cent more in their tax bills this year.

The increase is the lowest since 2022, when a 1.59 per-cent increase was approved.

The 2026 budget is set to be passed on April 1 at council’s 9 a.m. regular meeting. For an average property assessed at $332,000, this increase represents about $62 per year, or approximately $5.17 per month.

A public meeting was held last week where residents had an opportunity to ask questions or voice their opinions or concerns on the document. For the second straight year, there were no delegations or written submissions.

“We are now in a public meeting. Currently, no members of the public are here, so I will give it five minutes to see if anyone shows up during that time period before we carry on,” said Mayor Phil Schaefer.

After close to one minute, CAO Karen DePrest continued the meeting with her budget presentation. She presented council with pie charts showing the breakdown of county, municipal and education taxes, as well as departmental allocations.

Sixty per cent of the budget, or just under $5.4 million, is going to pay for infrastructure and community services, while 20 per cent, or nearly $1.8 million, is being allocated for general government. The third largest department expenditure comes in the fire and emergency services line, which sits at about $1.6 million or 18 per cent. Building and development services is the cheapest department to run, coming in at $170,000 or two per cent.

East Zorra-Tavistock tax increases for the last five years

Year              Tax Levy Increase

2026........................ 3.17%

2025........................ 6.95%

2024........................ 6.52%

2023........................ 4.49%

2022........................ 1.59%