Wilmot council debates detailed 2026 budget release

By Lee Griffi

Wilmot Township homeowners will see a 9.1 per-cent hike on their tax bills in 2026.

The increase will amount to approximately $217 per year for the average homeowner. With the increased water and wastewater rates factored in, the total impact sits just under $300.

Members of council peppered Mayor Natasha Salonen and staff with questions during a meeting that stretched past five hours on Monday night. Before the meeting started, the taxpayer was on the hook for a 9.7 per-cent hit.

The budget was tabled on Jan. 9 by Salonen as part of her strong mayor responsibilities. A press release said the document was developed with a collaborative approach “with township staff, council and financial experts from KPMG following a comprehensive review of historical spending and financial data.”

Salonen hired the consulting firm to develop the budget and a long-term financial plan. Council introduced several amendments during the process, including a reduction to the mayor and council’s development, conferences and events budget, which had increased to $43,000 from just under $18,000 in 2025. It was finalized at $25,000.

Salonen pledged her intent not to veto any council amendments at the end of the meeting.

“The 2026 budget right-sizes funding for essential municipal services while supporting major infrastructure upgrades, community facility improvements, road-safety initiatives and ongoing modernization efforts,” said a township press release.

Capital investments include replacing the HVAC system at the Wilmot Recreation Complex Aquatics Centre, advancing trafficcalming initiatives and renovations at the St. Agatha Community Centre.

Salonen said the budget reflects a fundamental shift in how Wilmot plans for its future.

“For the first time this term, council and the community had the opportunity to provide input before a draft budget was created. We brought in external expertise, implemented zero-based budgeting and are now undertaking long-term financial planning.”

She said her goal was to make responsible decisions today that ensure stability, transparency and resilience for the township tomorrow.

Once the dust had settled, the Gazette heard from several councillors who gave their thoughts on the township’s first strong mayor powers budget.

Coun. Lillianne Dunstall said the process was disappointing, and with the mayor holding veto authority, it was ultimately her budget.

“My main concern remains the classification of more than $500,000 that I believe should have been treated as operational spending but was placed in the capital budget.”

Dunstall raised the issue during the meeting and was advised that these items could be placed under capital. She said while that may be permissible, it does not change the message delivered to residents.

“Council consistently communicated that the capital levy was about infrastructure. When more than half of that levy is directed to non-infrastructure items such as studies, surveys and training, residents deserve to know that.”

She added her concern is about transparency and ensuring constituents clearly understand how their tax dollars are being used.

Coun. Kris Wilkinson said strong mayor powers change how budgets are passed, but they do not change the public’s right to transparency or council’s responsibility to take a deep dive into the numbers.

“This process has resulted in less information being shared publicly. That undermines accountability and needs to be corrected.”

Salonen defended the process, saying all elected officials had plenty of opportunity to get involved.

“Council has had full access to the first draft of the budget since Dec. 19 and had the opportunity to review all line-by-line details with staff. The budget document that was provided to the public on Jan. 9 followed municipal best practices by clearly linking spending to priorities and funding sources.”         

She added a budget is only one part of financial transparency, and with a new treasurer on staff, regular reporting on actuals, variances and other key financial information will be provided to council and the public to strengthen financial oversight.

Coun. Harvir Sidhu was also disappointed with this year’s budget process.

“The use of strong mayor powers significantly limited council’s ability to meaningfully contribute, and I’m not satisfied with the outcome. I would have liked to see greater investment in core community infrastructure alongside a more deliberate and visible effort to control costs.”

He is hoping there will be greater transparency in how the budget is developed going forward.

“I hope there will be a renewed focus on being respectful of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.”

Coun. Steven Martin had more of a positive outlook on the budget, but admitted it was unique as a result of strong mayor powers.

“This budget process has been a different one since it is a strong mayor’s budget. In September, Coun. Dunstall and I held a town hall meeting, inviting community participation. On Dec. 30, Coun. Cressman and I met with the mayor, CAO and interim director of finance to discuss the budget before it went public. There were opportunities to give feedback.”

He added the process was mandated by the province and the township did its best to collaborate.

“I believe that the current budget is an attempt give accurate reporting and work on our plan from last year to build up reserves.”

Coun. Stewart Cressman did not respond.