St. Marys council approves BIA budget with no levy increase for 2026

By Galen Simmons

Downtown businesses will see no increase in the Business Improvement Area (BIA) levy again this year after St. Marys council approved the organization’s 2026 budget at its June 9 meeting.

Council approved a total BIA levy of $45,000 for 2026, maintaining the same levy amount charged in previous years while continuing to fund the organization’s operations and initiatives.

“The board is presenting a balanced budget that maintains the current levy while continuing to invest in initiatives that support our downtown businesses and the community as a whole,” St. Marys BIA treasurer Dan Troyer told council. “We have been mindful of utilizing reserve funds to help minimize pressure on future levy increases.

“As a board, our focus continues to be on promoting St. Marys as a vibrant place to shop, dine, visit and do business.”

According to a report from director of finance and treasurer Spencer Steckley, the BIA board has placed an emphasis on strategically using reserve funds to minimize pressure on the levy and avoid future increases for downtown businesses.

“This approach allows the BIA to continue advancing its priorities while maintaining affordability for its members,” Steckley said.

The budget was first presented to BIA members during the organization’s annual general meeting April 13, where board members sought feedback from the membership before approving the budget. The budget was later amended during a May 11 board meeting before being forwarded to council for final approval.

The levy is collected by the Town of St. Marys through the property-tax system and remitted to the BIA in quarterly payments throughout the year.

Town staff calculate individual levy amounts based on the commercial assessment of properties located within the BIA boundary. The current structure includes a minimum levy of $100 and maximum levy thresholds of $761.25 for single-unit commercial properties and $971.25 for multi-unit properties.

In his report, Steckley noted the BIA continues to focus on supporting a vibrant downtown commercial district following its collaboration with the town on the Downtown Beautification Plan in 2025.

“In 2026, some of the projects we are working on include enhancing our presence at community events through a BIA-branded tent, displays supporting artist-designed utility box wraps throughout the downtown and sponsoring events and initiatives that encourage residents and visitors to experience our downtown district,” Troyer said.

With council’s approval, the 2026 BIA budget and levy will remain unchanged from previous years while allowing the organization to continue drawing on reserve funds to support its priorities and operations.

“The BIA, I think, has done an excellent job not just this past year, but this term, at maintaining affordability, but also getting a lot of mileage out of our budget in service of the downtown,” said deputy mayor Brogan Aylward, who also serves as council’s representative on the BIA board.

“I think we’ve run some pretty incredible events, and we’ve done some beautification efforts and the public art. I’m very impressed with these last couple of years, so thank you to everybody at the BIA.”