Regional portion of York Region property tax bill to jump by $75 on average

Region expects to add $2.46 billion in debt over next decade

Yorkregion.com
December 2, 2019
Lisa Queen

On Nov. 21, York Region councillors got their first look at the region’s $3.3 billion budget, which includes $2.5 billion in operating expenses and $826 million in capital costs. Council is expected to approve the budget on Dec. 19.

Here are five highlights:

Council expects to pass a tax increase of 2.96 per cent for 2020, followed by tax increases of 2.96 per cent in each of 2021 and 2022. That works out in 2020 to a $75 increase next year on the regional portion of the property tax bill for the average household with an assessed value of $749,150. Due to differences in property values across the region, the average household in Georgina would see the regional portion of the tax bill increase by $39, while in East Gwillimbury the average increase would be $51, in Newmarket it would be $59, in Aurora it would be $71, in Whitchurch-Stouffville it would be $70, in Richmond Hill it would be $86, in Markham it would be $77, in Vaughan it would be $78 and in King it would be $90.

The region’s controversial debt had been decreasing from a high of $2.9 billion in 2018. It is now at about $2.64 billion. However, the region will add $2.46 billion in new debt over the next 10 years as it front-ends the cost of putting in new services such as roads and sewers to accommodate new growth. The debt will hit $2.74 billion in 2029. The region is also paying off a little more than $2.3 billion in previous debt, meaning the overall debt will be about $100 million more than it is today. The region expects to receive about $500 million less in development charges over the next 10 years. That means it needs to issue more debt than originally planned to pay for some of the growth infrastructure. Property taxpayers will not be responsible for paying the debt. The region is also looking to boost its reserve funds by $2.4 billion.

Council will increase its 10-year capital plan to $7.1 billion, up $500 million over 2019, which will allow these 14 key growth-related road projects to move ahead more quickly: a crossing over Hwy. 404 north of 16th Avenue, Elgin Mills Road between Yonge and Bathurst streets, a crossing over Hwy. 400 south of Teston Road, 16th Avenue between Woodbine and Warden avenues, Dufferin Street between Major Mackenzie Drive and Teston Road, 16th Avenue between Warden and Kennedy Road, Warden between Major Mackenzie and Elgin Mills, Weston Road north and south of Rutherford Road, Kennedy Road from Major Mackenzie to north of Elgin Mills, Major Mackenzie between Keele Street to McNaughton Road, Weston Road from Hwy. 407 to north of Hwy. 7, Hwy. 7 west of Kipling Avenue, Bayview north of Hwy. 7 to 16th and Langstaff Road between Keele and Dufferin.

York Regional Police will add 102 staff, including 87 police officers, over the next three years. Fifteen officers will be hired in 2020. The region is building six paramedic station and hiring 47 staff over three years, including 42 paramedics, 14 of whom will be hired in 2020.

The region is adding 500 new subsidized housing units by 2023, to be built in Woodbridge, Unionville and Whitchurch-Stouffville.