Mayor Roy has released the following statement related to Whitby’s proposed 2025 to 2027 Strong Mayor’s Budget released yesterday (November 18, 2024) and a reduction to the proposed tax increase:

Whitby’s proposed 2025 Budget is built on the valuable input we received from thousands of residents who shared their priorities online or in person at one of my “Talk Budget with Mayor Roy” events held throughout our community.

I heard loud and clear that residents are concerned about tax increases, which is why in my first provincially legislated Strong Mayor’s Budget I made amendments to the draft budget prepared by Town staff on Nov. 4, bringing the proposed tax increase for 2025 from 5.7 per cent down to 4.5 per cent.

The proposed tax increases for 2026 and 2027 have also been reduced – from 5.6 per cent in 2026 to 4.9 per cent, and from 5.4 per cent in 2027 to 4.8 per cent. These numbers will be reviewed annually with continued efforts to find efficiencies and new revenue opportunities.

The proposed Strong Mayor’s Budget would result in a 1.6, 1.7, and 1.8 per cent increase on the total residential bill for Town services for 2025, 2026 and 2027 respectively. For 2025, this represents an increase of approximately 27 cents per day, for an average Whitby home assessed at $503,000.

Last night, I had the privilege of presenting this budget to Members of Council and our community. The proposed budget reflects a careful balancing act: it prioritizes investments necessary to support our Town’s growth and maintenance of our assets and services, while minimizing the financial impact on taxpayers as much as possible.

This year is also Whitby’s first multi-year budget, with projections included for 2026 and 2027. This approach helps us plan more effectively for the future, especially in terms of implementing the 62 action items in Whitby’s Community Strategic Plan. The action items were developed based on feedback from residents, and multi-year budgeting ensures they are prioritized.

Like other municipalities across Ontario, Whitby is facing many complex budget pressures including inflation, significant growth, and the ongoing impact of provincial downloading. With these challenges in mind, I worked with Town staff to complete a thorough review of the budget and explore opportunities for cost savings. We’re also working to introduce new revenue sources to help offset impact on taxpayers. These include a new Municipal Accommodation Tax charged on room rentals at hotels, motels, and other accommodations, and successful applications for several federal and provincial grants.

I greatly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to engage in the budget process by sharing feedback and asking questions. I’ve included responses to some of the most frequently asked questions at my “Talk Budget with Mayor Roy” events, which I hope will be helpful to residents who want to learn more about the budget. You can also visit connectwhitby.ca/Budget for more information.

Additional Information

This fall, I hosted a series of “Talk Budget with Mayor Roy” events and the Town offered a Virtual Budget engagement on Connect Whitby. Here are responses to three of the most frequently asked questions received.

1.  What’s the difference between the staff-proposed Draft Budget released on November 4 and the Strong Mayor’s Budget released on November 18?

Based on resident feedback and concerns about tax increases, I’ve made amendments to the draft budget prepared by Town staff on Nov. 4, bringing the proposed tax increase for 2025 from 5.7 per cent down to 4.5 per cent. The proposed tax increases for 2026 and 2027 have also been reduced – from 5.6 per cent in 2026 to 4.9 per cent, and from 5.4 per cent in 2027 to 4.8 per cent. These numbers will be reviewed annually with continued efforts to find efficiencies and new revenue opportunities.

The proposed Strong Mayor’s Budget would result in a 1.6, 1.7, and 1.8 per cent increase on the total residential bill for Town services for 2025, 2026 and 2027 respectively. For 2025, this represents an increase of approximately $99 per year (or 27 cents per day), for an average Whitby home assessed at $503,000. 

2.  Why do I keep reading that Whitby has the highest property taxes?

I’m aware of recent media coverage indicating Whitby has the highest property tax rates in the GTA – however this information is not based on apples-to-apples comparisons. Whitby is middle of the pack among the lakeshore municipalities when it comes to property taxes. When ranking municipal property taxes, it’s important to use the same housing values to start and look at services provided and revenue sources available (where our money comes from).

Revenue Source Comparison:

For example, Ajax and Pickering have casinos, meaning their municipalities benefit from casino revenues, while the City of Toronto has a Land Transfer Tax as a revenue source. Whitby doesn’t have the benefit of either. To help offset impacts on taxpayers, we are working to implement our own revenue sources. One example is the new Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) approved earlier this year by Council. The MAT is charged to visitors to the Town and collected from Whitby hotels, motels, and other accommodations. The Town has also been applying for and receiving millions in federal and provincial grants to help fund Town capital projects.

Service Delivery Comparison:

Whitby is only one of two municipalities in Durham Region that provides its own waste collection service to residents. That means the Town’s budget is impacted by having to maintain equipment, materials, staffing, service contracts, and more. 

What This Means:

Despite not having casino revenues and offering more services, the Town of Whitby is still mid-range when it comes to property taxes within Durham.

Proposed Budget - Municipal Comparators

Note: Waste management is at the Regional Level for Pickering, Ajax and Clarington. Waste management represents $78 per year for an Average Whitby Home. 

3.  Inflation is going down, why aren’t our taxes?

Inflation is just one of many factors that impact the Town’s budget. In recent years, the Town has worked to keep taxes as low as possible to help residents weather high inflation rates and the stresses of the pandemic.

Whitby faces many complex budget challenges including aging infrastructure, the need to invest in Council-approved initiatives like the Whitby Sports Complex and a new fire hall and 20 new firefighters to support growth in West Whitby. Additionally, provincial policy changes and downloading also impacts the Town’s bottom line. For example, recent changes to Bill 23, saw the loss of over $5 million to-date in developer payments to the Town for the future purchase of parkland.  Data shows nearly a third of municipal spending now goes to services that are the Province’s jurisdiction, resulting in a funding gap of $4 billion annually across Ontario.

Budget Quick Facts

• The proposed 2025 to 2027 Strong Mayor’s Budget would result in a 1.6, 1.7, and 1.8 per cent increase on the total residential bill for Town services for 2025, 2026 and 2027 respectively. For 2025, this represents an increase of approximately 27 cents per day, for an average Whitby home assessed at $503,000.
• The Town’s portion of the total property tax bill is 35 per cent. The Town is responsible for collecting property taxes on behalf of the Region of Durham (52 per cent of the property tax bill) and the School Boards (13 per cent of the property tax bill).

Learn More

For more information on the proposed budget, visit connectwhitby.ca/budget.

For media inquiries please contact:

Corporate Communications

Erin Mikaluk, Manager, Communications and Creative Services, Town of Whitby
Phone: 289.314.6913; Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca

Office of the Mayor

Jillian Follert, Public Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 289.387.9101; Email: follertj@whitby.ca