$27,153,557owed by the development charge funds to the Town's other reserves, December 31, 2024
Development charges are fees the Town collects from builders to pay for roads, parks and fire halls that new homes need. Halton Hills has paid for some of that growth work before the fees came in, by borrowing from its own savings accounts (reserves). On December 31, 2024 the growth funds owed $27,153,557 to those reserves. Recreation and Parks is the biggest part, $22,870,868. The Town's budget book says the amount borrowed rises to $34.1 million when commitments are counted, and that the loans, with interest, will be repaid from future development charges as they come in. It also says the growth-related capital program is deferred until the charges are collected.
6.99%rise in the Town's own part of a typical 2026 tax bill, against a headline of 3.53% for the whole bill
A property tax bill has three parts: the Town, Halton Region and the school boards. The 2026 budget book says the Town's budget rises 6.99%, and prints that as a 3.53% increase to the whole tax bill. On a typical bill the Town's own line goes from $482.11 per $100,000 of assessed value to $515.80, which is the 6.99%. The 2025 budget did the same thing: 8.97% more for the Town's part, 4.42% on the whole bill. Over the two years the Town's part per $100,000 went from $442.17 in 2024 to $515.80 in the 2026 proposal, a rise of 16.7% (worked out by us). The Town prints both numbers in its budget book. The one-page "2026 Budget Key Information" sheet shows only "Tax increase of 3.5%". The 2026 book calls its figures "proposed" and we did not find an adopted version.
8.46%more for salaries and benefits in the 2026 budget than in 2025
Salaries and benefits are the Town's biggest cost. The 2026 budget book shows them at 66,612 (in thousands of dollars), up from 61,414 in 2025: 5,198 more, or 8.46%. The Town explains that $3.1 million is for the people already on staff: $585K for step increases and 2025 changes, $809K for the second year of a non-union salary and pay equity review, $567K for Fire and outside worker union contracts, $860K for a 2.0% cost-of-living increase for non-union staff and $326K for benefits. The rest is new people: the book asks for 12.2 more full-time equivalent staff (a full-time equivalent is one full-time job; two half-time jobs make one).
$2,881,503investment income in 2024, against a budget of $1,156,000
Investment income is interest on the Town's savings. The 2024 statements show a budget of $1,156,000 and a result of $2,881,503. The Town's own rules explain part of the gap: interest earned on reserve funds that the law sets aside is added to those funds, and its reserve list says interest earned above the budgeted amount goes to the Contingency reserve. The 2026 budget puts corporate investment earnings at $1,355,000. A second number deserves a look: the statements record the Town's $103,664,141 in a pooled fund at cost and say its market value was $99,189,556. That is $4,474,585 less (worked out by us). The statements say these short-term investments are bonds and debentures, recorded at cost and written down only if the loss is not temporary.