Municipality of Bluewater adopts responsible budget

Council of the Municipality of Bluewater adopted the 2025 budget at the January 13, 2025, Regular Meeting of Council. Adoption of the budget comes following Council consideration of the draft capital and operating budgets presented by Bluewater staff between October to December 2024.

Stated Mayor Paul Klopp, “The budget process is never cut and dried. I would like to thank the Manager of Finance for presenting a budget that Council has had productive, open discussions about and has confidently concluded that this is the budget we will support. The budget ensures that we’re investing in the infrastructure and services that are necessary for our community.”

Significant attention at the municipal level has been dedicated to developing the framework needed for sustainable, responsible, and transparent financial decision making. In recent years, the Municipality has worked to identify the spending requirements needed to sustain levels of service and maintain key infrastructure through its asset management plan (AMP) and key financial policies such as the Municipality’s Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy and Investment Policy. As a result of the 2025 budget process and consideration of the AMP and financial policies, Council committed to a 3% tax levy increase each year for a minimum of 5 years for tax levy capital reserve contributions. This will have a significant impact on the funds available to fund both core and non-core infrastructure, addressing the infrastructure backlog identified through asset management planning. Using this forward planning approach, the Municipality will double its contribution to capital reserves over 5 years.

Through the budget process, Council and staff sought to set a municipal budget that is both fair and attainable in that it supports the continued delivery of municipal services in a challenging economic climate. Aside from policing costs which increased 18.27% over 2024 amounts and contributions to reserves, Bluewater’s 2025 operating budget remains largely unchanged over 2024 amounts. Ultimately, the 2025 budget has been set at $22.3 million for operating and $5.8 million for capital. This will result in a Bluewater tax levy of $10.6 million, resulting in an overall municipal tax levy increase of 5.34% after growth, excluding rates for the County of Huron and school boards.

For ratepayers, this will translate to an estimated increase in the municipal tax portion of $88 in 2025 for a single-family home when using the estimated assessment value of $266,000.

Capital investments identified for 2025 include replacing culvert on Blackbush Line; paving Airport Line from Mill Road to the Bayfield River Bridge (7.5 km); replacing the Zurich Fire Pumper Tanker; purchasing a new sidewalk plow; replacing sanitary main lining on John St. N., Zurich; replacing the Hensall Arena condenser; and replacing baseball diamond lighting in Hensall and at the north diamond at Varna.