Today at a special meeting, staff presented Council with the 2022 draft Operating Budget for the City of Owen Sound.

The draft 2022 Operating Budget, to maintain current service levels,  results in a 2.51% increase over 2021. This would see residential property taxes increase by $44 per $100,000 of assessment, meaning that the owner of a home assessed at the average of $235,000 (2016 assessment) would pay an additional $104 per year or $8.60 per month. This assumes a County increase of 2%.

The draft 2022 Operating­ Budget recommends $32.5 million in funding to support the delivery of a wide range of programs and services, including maintenance of roads and community facilities, fire services and policing, parks and trails, recreation and culture, the Library and Art Gallery, and a host of other important services.

A significant portion of the 2022 operating increase is related to the City’s Transit service, with increased costs anticipated for fuel, contracted service, and winter maintenance at bus stops. However, the cost increases for ongoing service provision excluding transit have been kept under 2%. In addition, the budget recognizes savings on the sale of Billy Bishop Airport.

Residents can find the draft 2022 Operating Budget at www.owensound.ca/2022budget.
Council meetings regarding the budget will be live-streamed and can be viewed at https://www.owensound.ca/en/city-hall/council-and-committees.aspx.

source: media release, City of Owen Sound