Grey County Council gives first approval to 2022 Budget

Grey County Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, has approved the 2022 budget following a special budget workshop on January 28. Council spent the day reviewing details of the $186.6 million operating and capital budget which maintains service levels, invests in supports for vulnerable people, and adjusts to the rising costs of providing services and doing business. In total, $65.4 million needs to be raised through taxation. This is an increase of 2.88% compared to 2021, or about $29.30 for an average homeowner.

Some investments made in in the budget include increased spending on road infrastructure, increasing funds for local healthcare initiatives, supporting climate action, and continued funding for affordable housing.  Other factors contributing to the increase are rising prices of fuel, higher insurance premiums and inflationary costs of construction materials and general goods. Grey County also continues to feel the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on services, especially in long-term care and paramedic services.

“Reviewing and setting budgets is a challenging task made even more difficult with the pandemic continuing to impact Grey County residents,” said Warden Selwyn Hicks. “We realize affordability is important to families and businesses. Today Council supported a 2022 budget that responsibly balances the necessary investments in our services without adding significant pressure onto our ratepayers.”

The Grey County budget supports the delivery of several services that provide care for vulnerable people in our communities.  Around 46% of the County levy directly supports people through services such as affordable housing, long-term care, Ontario Works and employment support, children’s services, paramedic services, and provides additional funding to support healthcare and education initiatives.

“With our budget now set we can move forward with the important work ahead of us. This will be a busy year for Grey County, and I know County Council and our dedicated staff are up to the task,” said Warden Hicks.

Key 2022 Budget Investments

• $16 million for road construction and resurfacing projects
• $1 million towards implementation of the Georgian College nursing program
• $5.5 million for housing capital work
• $623,000 towards the affordable Housing Fund
• Supporting non-profit affordable housing builds
• 5 new ambulances
• Additional Long-Term Care staffing focused on direct resident care
• Funding to initiate climate action plans

The full 2022 budget details and a summary can be found online at www.grey.ca/budget. The budget will be brought forward to Council for final approval on Thursday, February 10, 2022.

Anyone with questions about the 2022 budget can contact Grey County’s communications department at communications [at] grey.ca (communications[at]grey[dot]ca).

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For media inquiries contact Rob Hatten, communications manager, at rob.hatten [at] grey.ca (rob[dot]hatten[at]grey[dot]ca) or call 519-373-1592.