Norfolk council to debate property tax increase

Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin.

J.P. Antonacci

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Norfolk County residents who saw their water bills rise by more than 10 per cent on New Year’s Day will soon find out how much more property tax they must pay in 2026.

Councillors met to debate the rural municipality’s operating budget, with finance staff proposing to raise residential property taxes by 5.5 per cent.

That increase would add $212.71 to the median home’s annual property tax bill.

Some of the tax increase is already locked in, such as a 2.5 per cent bump to the capital budget to fund infrastructure, pay down debt and replenish neglected reserve funds, along with a non-negotiable 0.9 per cent increase to the policing budget as dictated by the Ontario Provincial Police.

Councillors are left to debate how much to spend on increasing services or simply maintain existing service levels as expensed climb due to inflation. The cost to haul the county’s trash is also set to rise in September, when Norfolk enters into a new waste-collection contract.

Mayor Amy Martin said the draft $146.6-million operating budget “is about balancing fiscal responsibility with the need to invest in critical services and infrastructure that matter most to our residents.

“We’re working hard to minimize the burden on households while ensuring Norfolk County remains resilient and prepared for the future,” Martin said in a statement.

Continuing a multi-year effort started by the previous council under mayor Kristal Chopp, council members and staff are trying to find money to upgrade neglected infrastructure, while replenishing the county’s reserve accounts, which in past years were raided to keep property tax increases low.

Martin said the municipality will not take on new debt while spending $69.4 million this year for needed roadwork and bridge repairs, fire truck replacements, stormwater system improvements and other infrastructure projects.

“Council’s continued focus on strengthening our financial position is working, and our commitment to a responsible financial strategy is unwavering,” the mayor said.

The sharp increase to residents’ water bills continues a trend in Norfolk, where water and wastewater rates have gone up more than 37 per cent since 2022 and are now among the highest in the province.

The county has five separate water treatment systems in Norfolk’s areas, but only about 60 per cent of residents are hooked up to municipal water.

About 16,000 households pay to support an aging system that needs hundreds of millions in new spending but has thus far not attracted major investment from Queen’s Park or Ottawa, save for money to upgrade existing plants in Port Dover and Port Rowan.

It all adds up to what treasurer Amy Fanning described as “an ongoing struggle between significant infrastructure needs and resident affordability.” 

Norfolk has budgeted just under $10 million to upgrade sewage pumping stations and rehabilitate Port Dover’s water tower this year, but it is unclear how the county plans to cover $417 million in forecasted capital spending needed to modernize the water system over the next decade.

That projected price tag “is not only significant, it is monumental,” said Martin, stressing the need to push for financial support from upper levels of government “to ensure this vital work continues.”

Budget talks start at 9:30 a.m.  on Wednesday inside Simcoe town hall. Two days are scheduled, if needed. Residents are welcome to attend in person or online.

To review the 2026 budget documents and those from past years, visit norfolkcounty.ca/budget.

- J.P. Antonacci is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.