County Council Discusses Property Tax and Water Rates

Thursday, 23 November 2023 11:16

Warden Marcus Ryan says most of the people living in Oxford will be paying more for their water and wastewater in 2024, and it's looking like their property taxes will increase as well.

OXFORD COUNTY - Oxford County residents will be paying more in the New Year.

County Council looked over a report from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) yesterday, which showed a 1.89 percent increase in property assessment growth in Oxford County this year. The report stated that the average homeowner in Oxford with a home valued at $275,022 could see an increase of $141 on the County's portion of their property taxes for 2024.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but Warden Marcus Ryan confirmed that we will probably spend more on our property taxes next year.

"Council has not finalized the budget but I think with inflation and interest rates, like everybody is experiencing, I don't see any way that Oxford is going to deliver a budget that will not require a property tax increase."

County Council will debate the draft budget on Wednesday December 13th with hopes of approving it the same day.

Council also approved the Water and Wastewater rates for 2024 yesterday, and Warden Ryan says they will be going up for almost everyone in the County.

"It doesn't feel good to raise people's water and wastewater rates. But at the same time, we have to look after all of the infrastructure that gets all of that water and wastewater to and away from people's homes and that means all of the pipes underground and the water/wastewater treatment plants. Municipalities are affected by inflation and high-interest rates just like everybody else is."

The average water and wastewater user can expect to spend anywhere between $16.08 and $125.88 extra next year based on where they live in Oxford County. Residents in Tavistock and Mount Elgin will be the least affected with a rate increase of 1.2 percent. Thamesford on the other hand has the highest rate increase with 9.6 percent. You can find more details in the report online here.

Even with the increases, Ryan says the water and wastewater rates in Oxford County remain lower than the rates in Middlesex, Norfolk, and Brant.