By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
Halton Hills council passed its 2026 budget, along with amendments to its capital and operating budget with the inclusion of its leash-free parks revitalization and IT upgrades.
Based on the amendments presented during the Dec. 1 and 2 budget meetings, the town’s property tax increase will be 3.56 per cent, which means an additional $33.98 in property taxes per $100,000 of the assessed value of a home.
When combined with regional and education levies, the total property tax increase is 5.11 per cent.
The budget was shared with the public, seeking feedback, in November.
Halton Hills currently has three leash-free parks:
Trafalgar Sports Park in Georgetown
Cedarvale Park in Georgetown
Prospect Park in Acton
Coun. Jason Brass championed the revitalization project at the Dec. 2 meeting, citing its high usage, with more than “100,000 visits per year.”
The initial request to add $50,000 to the capital budget for upgrades, including new pathways, a water fountain, benches and a dog waste receptacle, was debated.
Town staff clarified that the capital funding is for features and significant repairs, not for core maintenance, such as grass cutting and fence fixing, which is covered under general park operations.
Council ultimately approved an amended motion that reduced the capital amount to $45,000 and added $5,000 to the operating budget to cover ongoing annual maintenance of the new features.
Other key amendments
Other key amendments related to IT included:
$100,000 from the capital budget approved for backup and recovery implementation, which will have a $25,000 impact on the operating budget. The project’s goal is to restore systems quickly in the event of a cyber attack or data incident, minimizing financial risk to residents and the municipality.
A $60,000 capital budget increase approved for the addition of CoPilot Phase 3, an AI-implementation initiative intended to streamline work and boost staff productivity.
A $75,000 increase in the capital budget approved for the IT security program initiative. The program is intended to strengthen the municipality’s overall security posture.
$55,000 approved from the operating budget to provide ongoing funding for the licensing and operating impacts of the approved IT capital projects.
No veto from the mayor
Although provincial legislation granted Mayor Ann Lawlor the power to veto any budget amendments brought forward by council, she chose to confirm the amendments as they were and closed the session, noting she has confidence in both council and the finalized budget.
“I want to let people know that the decisions that have been taken today are final,” she said. “I can alert you that there will be no further changes that I will propose.”
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