Questions arise about Wilmot budget during initial meeting

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The township held its first 2026 pre-budget meeting on Monday evening, and unlike last year, there are more questions than answers at this stage in the process.

Mayor Natasha Salonen announced that KPMG would be developing Wilmot’s budget and long-term financial plan on Oct. 27. The 2025 budget was announced with a starting point of more than a 50 per-cent increase in the tax levy for residents, but it was whittled down to 18.22 per cent.

“Tonight is something we haven’t seen done, at least not recently, in Wilmot’s history,” the mayor said.

“We are trying to get information from residents about what they would like to prioritize and hopefully see impact the budget before (it) is actually tabled.”

Council was provided with a staff report with a dozen themes to guide discussion at the meeting, most of which came out of staff meetings with elected officials.

Among them was to maintain overall budget increases in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) level of 1.65 per cent and preserve a nine per-cent increase in the annual capital program, consistent with council’s 2025 direction, to move toward sustaining infrastructure and asset management needs.

Also included is a desire to increase installation of flashing speed signage across key locations township-wide, expand and realign the township’s economic development to enhance local business attraction, retention and downtown vitality, and enhance aesthetic appeal and accessibility in downtown cores, including signage, maintenance and streetscape improvements.

The next step in the budget process will see KPMG, township staff and the mayor review and incorporate feedback from the meeting to help develop the 2026 budget. Councillors will receive draft documents before the final version is tabled by the end of December.

“Would that include the 10-year capital plan and the prioritization of the capital items in that plan or is it going to be the start of that, and it will have to be fully developed at some later date?” asked Coun. Stewart Cressman, who was concerned the cart is coming before the horse.

KPMG partner Ash Garg, in attendance at the meeting, said the priority is to complete the capital and operating budget.

“My colleague has been engaged to complete the 10-year plan and it is being considered in tandem with the 2026 numbers for now. The (long-range) plan will be completed following the tabling of the budget.”

Coun. Kris Wilkinson asked Garg what KPMG is using to figure out the ranking of assets that need to be replaced sooner than later.

“The question I have is what’s being used from your end to drive the prioritization? Is it based on what’s in the worst condition, what’s affordable based on the funding envelope, or is it based on our asset management plan?”

Garg said they will take all of Wilkinson’s points into consideration in consultation with township department heads and other senior staff to understand where the top capital essentials are.

“To understand where the capital needs are a priority and obviously understanding what can be deferred responsibly in the future to meet the funding needs. We are just starting to have those discussions,” he said.

Harold O’Krafka, the township’s director of development services, said each department head will work closely with KPMG to identify their priorities.

“Combining all of that together is going to obviously have some conflict between community priorities and, I think, ultimately the mayor and council need to make some probably tough decisions as to what is prioritized when.”

Salonen said she is relying on staff’s expertise to drive spending priorities, realizing the current situation in Wilmot.

“I am leaving that to staff to decide what that looks like coming forward but then having the support of information and even in some of the documents I have already seen (KPMG) already has, I think you guys are going to be very pleased with the detail to explain each assumption made.”

The public was offered the opportunity at the meeting to speak to council, and two residents offered their thoughts, including Barry Wolfe and Richard Pfeifle. He said his hope is cost-cutting will be a priority.

“I am finding these requests for tax increases greater than the rate of inflation, and last year when staff suggested … property taxes increasing by greater than 50 per cent, this was ludicrous to me.”

Pfeifle admitted he wasn’t fully prepared to speak at the meeting and didn’t know the precise process, but Coun. Lilliane Dunstall said he is welcome to offer further input to councillors. Wilkinson added Pfeifle didn’t need to feel bad about a lack of knowledge on the process since very little information is available to residents.

“The only document available is a draft 10-year capital plan from last year. I think a lot of the commentary and what you are hearing this evening is we are sitting here wondering the same things citizens are wondering.”

Pfeifle suggested the township look at implementing a zero-based budgeting approach, a method of budgeting that means no department or program automatically receives funding based on the previous year’s budget.

Wilkinson said while he’d love to see that come to fruition, it simply isn’t the reality at the moment.

“I agree with you 100 per cent and if KPMG is taking note, cost-cutting is absolutely essential. It’s a drum I have been beating for the last three years and I would like to see that taken into account.”