Contact: Brenda Hogg, Regional & Local Councillor and Budget Chair, 905-771-2498, brenda.hogg@richmondhill.ca
or David Dexter, Director of Financial Services, 905-771-2484, david.dexter@richmondhill.ca

RICHMOND HILL – Richmond Hill Council approved the 2015 Operating Budget of $148.9 million at a Special Council Meeting on March 2. The Operating Budget will result in a 2.6 per cent increase on the total property tax bill.

“This budget allows us to add and improve services, including park security, a block pruning program for our trees, building maintenance and additional support for children with special needs,” said Mayor Dave Barrow. “We scrutinized the budget with the goal of ensuring that the increase in the tax rate was as minimal as possible.”

The 2015 Operating Budget will add some new staff positions, including a Web & Social Media Coordinator to support a new website, an Urban Forestry Technician to help maintain the urban forest, two Roads staff for road work and winter maintenance and four Parks staff to better maintain and secure Richmond Hill’s parks.

“Our job as Council is to find the best possible balance of services, costs and long-term planning,” said Budget Chair, Regional & Local Councillor Brenda Hogg. “This budget ensures that we are able to continue to provide important services for the families in our community.”

Richmond Hill's Operating Budget consists of the expenses of day-to-day operations, including utilities, rent, insurance, staff wages and benefits, program supplies, transportation and repairs. More than a third of Richmond Hill’s $148.9 million Operating Budget is funded from sources other than taxes, including fines, fees, investments and reserves.

“We’re always looking for efficiencies and partnerships as well as other opportunities to mitigate increases,” said Mayor Barrow. “Still, just like households, our costs to provide services can go up each year with natural gas, hydro and postage increases.”

Those increases can be particularly difficult for seniors. For that reason, the Town will continue to offer the Seniors’ Tax Assistance Grant and it will increase by $14 to $345 per eligible applicant for 2015.

Visit RichmondHill.ca/Budget for more information about Richmond Hill’s 2015 Budget, including a tax calculator and departmental draft budgets and presentations.


Backgrounder: 2015 Operating Budget

Richmond Hill 2015 Budgets

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  • Operating Budget = $148.9 million

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  • Capital Budget = $44.5 million (approved December 2014)

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  • Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Budget = $62.5 million (approved February 2015)

Key Budget Directions
Richmond Hill developed the 2015 Operating Budget with the following directions to staff:

• Maintain existing service levels

• Minimize any tax rate impact

• Provide approved growth & services

Remain true to the Town of Richmond Hill’s financial principles: Thorough short and long term planning; Prudent consideration of reserves; Leverage available funding sources

How does Richmond Hill's Municipal Tax Rate compare? 
Richmond Hill’s municipal tax rate remains lower than many Greater Toronto Area municipalities. The following chart shows Municipal residential tax rates for 2014, not including the Regional portion. 

Funding Sources for Richmond Hill’s Operating Budget
More than a third of Richmond Hill’s $148.9 million Operating Budget is funded from sources other than taxes, including fines, fees, investments and reserves.

How Property Tax Increases are Calculated
Richmond Hill accounts for only about a quarter of the tax bill. In 2015, the residential tax bill is divided as follows:

• Richmond Hill = 27% of property taxes
• Region of York = 49% of property taxes
• School Boards = 24% of property taxes

Richmond Hill’s 2015 Operating Budget is a 4.2 per cent increase to the municipal portion of the property tax. This is equal to $55.34 in property taxes on an average home assessed at $600,000.

The Region of York’s 2015 Operating Budget is a 2.97 per cent increase on the regional portion of the property tax. This is equal to $74.26 in property taxes on an average home assessed at $600,000.

When the two rates are combined, along with the School Board portion, Richmond Hill residents will see an overall tax rate increase of 2.6 per cent. Combined, this is equal to an increase of $129.60 in property taxes on an average Richmond Hill home assessed at $600,000.

What Your Money Provides
The 2015 Operating Budget of $148.9 million includes:

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  • $19.8 million for fire and emergency services;

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  • $10.8 million for Town-owned facility maintenance, utilities and repairs;

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  • $9.9 million for parks and recreational programming and events;

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  • $12.5 million for road-related maintenance and snow removal;

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  • $7.9 million invested for infrastructure sustainability and capital programs;

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  • $7.6 million for libraries; and

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  • $5.7 million for waste management.

Looking Forward
Richmond Hill will continue to focus on the implementation of key Town plans including the Parks Plan, Recreation Plan, Cultural Plan, Environment Strategy and Service Improvement.