Greater Sudbury approves city budget with 5.9% tax hike

Meeting on Tuesday evening, city council in Greater Sudbury approved a 5.9 per cent tax increase for the 2024-2025 budget, which will total more than $780 million.

Councillors also approved a 7.3 per cent hike for 2025, but that will be reviewed again next year.

“For a homeowner with a home assessed at $350,000 the approved budget means a monthly change of approximately $26,” the city said in a news release.

Of the total budget increase, 2.2 per cent is a result of the budgets for outside boards, including police, the health unit and the library.

The total operating budget is $782.8 million for 2024. About 46 per cent of the operating budget is funded by property taxes, with the remainder from provincial and federal government funding, grants and subsidies, user fees and other revenues.

The budget includes a plan to give seniors free transit on Tuesdays beginning in June, as well as other transit improvements, including more security officers.

Staff increases for paramedics and firefighters were also approved.

Other highlights include plans to spend $257 million on road construction to repair and to maintain the transportation network. Council also approved $80.7 million for fire and paramedic services, including ambulances, medical equipment, emergency response vehicles, construction of a new station and renovations to various community safety stations.

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WATER RATES UP 4.8%

In addition to property taxes, water/sewer rates are increasing by 4.8 per cent.

Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said in a news release they kept tax increases “to a minimum while making ambitious investments in our city’s future and pursuing opportunities for growth, investment and employment.”

“Building a healthy and prosperous city means finding ways to both attract new people and businesses, and to help those in our community who haven’t had the same opportunities or advantages,” Lefebvre said.

“These two things are not mutually exclusive. To staff, my colleagues on council, and residents who shared their feedback, the approved budget represents a collaboration toward a shared goal to improve quality of life for all Greater Sudbury residents.”

For more information about the 2024-2025 budget, click here.