Average Richmond Hill homeowner to pay $92 more in city taxes this year

Yorkregion.com
March 7, 2023

There’s bad news, good news and bad news with Richmond Hill’s budget for 2023.

The bad news: after five years of minimal tax increases, Richmond Hill residents and businesses will see a 3.72 per cent jump in the municipal tax rate.

The good news: in a world of raging inflation, that’s less than increases facing most other cities and towns in York Region.

Last bit of bad news: next year brings a whole new set of challenges.

This year’s increase, on an average Richmond Hill home valued at $1.146 million, amounts to $72.74, plus an additional $19.55 levy for repair and replacement of aging infrastructure, based on the operating budget approved by Richmond Hill council Feb. 22.

One day later, York Region council passed its 2023 budget with a 3.9 per cent increase, equal to $150.15 on an average Richmond Hill home.

Elsewhere in York Region, Aurora approved a 3.5 per cent increase, King Township 4.95 per cent, Georgina 6.89 per cent, Vaughan 2.9 per cent and Bradford 5.63. Proposed increases include 5.5 per cent in East Gwillimbury, 6.4 per cent in Markham and 7.67 per cent in Newmarket.

Richmond Hill Mayor David West acknowledges the increases are not an easy pill to swallow.

“I haven’t met anybody that loves to pay taxes,” he said. “I’m not happy about paying more either, especially in the environment we’re in, but that’s exactly why we worked harder this year than other years to make sure we were very efficient.”

The budget isn't just a “document full of numbers,” he says, but rather a “fiscal reflection of what we value and cherish as a community and investments we make to ensure those values are alive.”

Among priorities for the coming year: a new strategic plan, a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, an age-friendly community strategy, online water billing customer portal, and $500,000 for 16 new firefighters as approved in the 2022 budget.

The city also approved in January an annual capital budget with growth-related projects such as the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory Park Master Plan, Bayview Hill Park revitalization, eight pedestrian crosswalks, new fire truck, 400 metres of multi-use trails and 880 metres of nature trails.

One of the “huge pressures” this year is inflation hovering around seven per cent, West said, adding next year could prove even more challenging.

“The impact of Bill 23 will likely not be realized until the next budget and believe you me, I am worried,” he said.

A staff report in January presented a host of concerns, including the loss of development fees that municipalities charge developers -- money used to service growth infrastructure such as roads, sewers, parks and libraries.

The city stands to lose $329.8 million between 2022 and 2032, the report said.

West met with Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, Associate Minister of Housing Michael Parsa, and local MPP Daisy Wai Feb. 24 to discuss the controversial legislation.

“I said these are things that must be addressed because it will put municipalities like ours in an impossible situation.

“I felt we were heard,” West said. “Whether action is taken, the ball is in the minister’s court … but we got our message across.”

At the regional level, a $3.9-billion budget got a last-minute, $12.77-million addition to help with homelessness.

The region heard from several delegations in favour of the extra support, including former Richmond Hill resident Janis Dawson who recounted her own struggles with homelessness, roaming the streets as a child and living in shelters.

She urged councillors to focus funding on building safe housing for people who are unhoused, possibly in abandoned homes and empty commercial properties.

Rather than a one per cent levy, as initially proposed, regional council agreed unanimously to use the provincial pandemic recovery fund -- putting $4.1 million into homelessness, $5.5 million to enhance community housing and $3.7 million to address service gaps in areas like mental health and human trafficking.

“There’s no question in my mind that this is needed,” West said, adding it is a good interim measure but a longer-term solution is needed