Average Caledon households to see tax increase of $104 in 2022

By Rob Paul

Town Council passed the 2022 budget at the December 14 Council meeting.

The budget focuses on recovery, resilience, and growth to serve the communities current needs while planning for future growth.

The final total operating budget for the Town of Caledon in 2022 will be just over $120.8 million. In 2021, the approved operating budget was $114.6 million. 

“The budget public engagement survey conducted in September indicated that residents want us to maintain, if not improve service levels—the 2022 budget does just that,” said Mayor Allan Thompson. “It achieves our two-part goal to provide programs, services and infrastructure that meet today's needs and make key investments to build for tomorrow and beyond.”

The approved 2022 budget has an overall tax rate increase of 1.97 per cent. This includes Region of Peel and school board tax impacts for homeowners.

The new tax rate will impact the typical household by approximately $104 per year.

“As the Town looks to return to business-as-usual in 2022, we are making investments to maintain and/or improve services, while holding tax increases under the rate of inflation,” said Myuran Palasandiran, Chief Financial Officer. “As a Town, we strive to balance affordability for residents and businesses while continuing to fund the Town's strategic goals.” 

This 2022 budget aims to help provide enhanced resident services and infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of the community. There are several key focuses of the budget, including roads, facilities, parks, fire and emergency services, and planning for growth. 

$28.7 million will go towards the Roads Capital Program and $3.1 million for the Bridge Capital Program. This will include work such as road reconstruction or rehabilitation, asphalt roads maintenance, surface treatment, design and environmental assessments of various roads.

Funding for facilities will go towards the continuation of the Caledon East Community Centre expansion as a multi-year project to include a pool, library, additional meeting spaces, a new gym, fitness centre, walking track and community rooms. As well as the continuation of the expansion of the Caledon Senior's Centre, Rotary Place, in Bolton, which will include additional programming and large group gathering spaces.

$4.3 million will go towards a partnership with the Peel District School Board to build an artificial turf and indoor dome facility at Mayfield Secondary School, which will allow the Town to host various types of sporting events and activities. A further $200,000 will go towards building the Town's first outdoor classroom that will complement activities at the Caledon Centre for Recreation and Wellness and the Caledon Seniors Centre.

$1.2 million in the budget is for various park improvements including playground upgrades, and $5.8 million in new parks such as Mayfield West II Community Park, Southfields Community Park, and another phase of Johnston Sports Park.

Part of the budget is set for hiring five new full-time firefighters for the Valleywood Fire Station as recommended in the Council approved Fire Master Plan update. With $7.7 million in funding for the multi-year project to expand Palgrave, Mono Mills and Alton Fire Stations and $3.1 million in funding to complete the final phase of the Fire Training facility to support the Town's firefighters.

$1.6 million in funding is going towards planning for the future of Caledon through the Town's 2051 Official Plan Review and Master plans to best serve the community.

To learn more about the budget and to review the presentations, visit haveyoursaycaledon.ca/.

A final budget document will be posted online in the coming days.