The proposed property tax increase is 0.25 percentage points higher than what city staff initially suggested. Pictured: St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe. Photo Credit: Mat Siscoe/X.
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe is proposing a larger property tax increase in his 2025 budget than city staff recommended.
In October, city staff suggested St. Catharines councillors approve a 2.46 per cent property tax increase, but noted that the final decision would be left in the hands of the mayor.
Usually, mayors suggest tax increases somewhat below what city staff recommend.
This time, however, Siscoe wants a higher property tax increase of 2.71 per cent.
Siscoe justified the higher tax increase by emphasizing the need to preserve the city’s reserve funds.
“My budget…avoids the temptation of blowing through reserves – reserves that have helped us weather several storms over the last few years and need to be maintained,” Siscoe said.
St. Catharines operates on a three-year operating budget plan. The current plan was adopted on Feb. 2 of this year. Siscoe’s proposals involve amendments to the initial budget plans already adopted for 2025.
Based on Siscoe’s proposals, the average household will see a $47.10 property tax hike at the lower-tier level, compared to a $42.82 property tax hike that had been proposed by city staff.
Some of the highlights of the changes Siscoe is pushing include $123,000 to fund a full-time permanent accessibility coordinator staff position, a $900,000 capital investment for eight pickleball courts to be installed in Burgoyne Woods, and a $1,100,000 capital investment to improve George Taylor Field.
Siscoe still touted the fact that his proposed property tax increase is relatively low when compared to other municipalities.
“We have worked hard to keep taxpayer affordability at the forefront of what we’re doing,” said Siscoe. “This budget does that.”
Niagara Region’s upper-tier property tax increase for 2025 is not yet finalized but will likely be well over six per cent.
When St. Catharines city councillors passed their three-year budget plan in February, it called for levy increases of 3.69 per cent in 2025 and 3.58 per cent in 2026.
Siscoe has identified proposed some minor savings that would get the proposed levy increase for 2025 3.66 per cent. However, he is calling for an even higher levy increase in 2026 at 3.61 per cent.
Councillors now have 30 days to propose amendments to Siscoe’s budget under the strong mayor powers that were given to Ontario mayors by the Ford government. Any proposed amendments will be discussed and voted on Nov. 21.
Siscoe has the power to veto any amendments passed by council, although council can override a veto with a two-thirds vote.
Jay Goldberg is the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He previously served as a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
