Carlow Mayo levies tax rate increase of 3.98 per cent for 2025

April 15, 2025

By Mike Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Carlow Mayo Township council had a final discussion and passed their 2025 budget at their meeting on April 8, after discussing and making amendments to the draft budget at the previous meetings in February and March. Overall, they approved and levied a 3.98 per cent tax increase for 2025. Treasurer/Deputy Clerk Kayla Weichenthal comments on the passage of this year’s budget.

At the preliminary budget meeting on Feb. 4, and at subsequent meetings on Feb. 11 and March 11, drafts of the 2025 budget were presented to council for deliberation and amendments. During the March 11 meeting, council announced their intention to pass the 2025 budget at the April meeting.

Weichenthal presented a report to council at the April 8 meeting, revealing that after the last budget discussions on March 11, no changes were made to the budget.

“[This leaves] the funds required to be raised for the municipal tax levy at $1,631,830, a municipal residential tax rate of 0.0108220,” she says.

For the 2025 proposed budget presented on March 11, administration came in at $968,273.15 versus $862,608.73 for 2024, roads came in at $2,053,007.63 versus $1,109,920.97 for 2024 (driven largely by road work needing to be done on Mayhew Road for $84,000 from $100,000 of OCIF funding, the balance to be carried forward to next year, Hwy 517 for $28,500 from the Hwy 517 reserve, Fort Stewart Road for $293,433 from Gas Tax equipment reserve, and new trucks required for the department like the 2025 International for $384,822.78 and the 3500 Silverado with plow for $96,500), waste came in at $230,691.03 versus $220,299.50 for 2024, recreation came in at $51,427.44 versus $48,219.61 for 2024, and the library came in at $39,600 versus $27,932.46 for 2024. Overall, for all departments, the grand total was $3,342,999.25 versus $2,268,981.27 for 2024.

Weichenthal explained to council through some graphs in her April 8 report that for revenues, taxation accounted for 49 per cent, reserves accounted for 24 per cent, grants accounted for 21 per cent, and municipal fees accounted for six per cent. For departmental expenses, roads accounted for 61 per cent, administration accounted for 29 per cent, waste accounted for seven per cent, recreation accounted for two per cent, and the library accounted for one per cent. For roads department expenses, roads operating expenses accounted for 57 per cent, roads projects accounted for 29 per cent, and roads equipment accounted for 23 per cent.

Weichenthal saiid that compared to last year’s municipal residential tax rate of 0.00979191, there was a 3.98 per cent increase in the tax rate, meaning a $2,036 charge for each $200,000 of assessment, which is $78.06 more than last year’s amount of $1,958.38 per $200,000 of assessed value. The full 2025 budget can be found at www.carlowmayo.ca or by contacting the municipal office and requesting a copy. The budget was subsequently passed under bylaw 24-2025 at their April 8 meeting.

Weichenthal told Bancroft This Week that budget discussions seemed to go well throughout council meetings, our goal was to maintain a municipal tax increase of under four per cent,” she says. “Staff and council worked well together to make adjustments and will continue to work together to deal with any fallout in regards to tariffs and uncontrollable circumstances.”