Halton Hills' 2027 budget waits for the new council: the Mayor tables it January 4

Why this budget is different

Because 2026 is an election year, the 2027 Town budget is being left to the next Council. A July 13 memo from Town finance staff says the current Council will not be asked to approve the 2027 operating or capital budgets, and that the newly elected Mayor will table the budget early in the new term.

The Mayor's role comes from the Province's strong mayor powers, which the Town says it received in October 2023 under O. Reg. 530/22. The Mayor directs staff on the budget and proposes it to Council; Council can then amend it, the Mayor can veto amendments, and Council can override a veto.

The early numbers

Staff's preliminary outlook estimates that keeping existing services at current levels in 2027 would take a budget increase of about 6.63 per cent. The memo is explicit that this is an early planning estimate, not a proposed budget or a recommended tax increase. It leaves out new initiatives, service changes and any savings measures that staff will present to the new Council.

A Halton Hills tax bill combines the Town's levy with amounts for Halton Region, the regional police service and the school boards, which the Town collects on their behalf. That is why the Town's own budget increase and the change on a resident's bill are different numbers.

Departments are building their 2027 budgets with a modified zero-based approach, justifying spending from the ground up rather than adding to last year's figures. They are also using a Critical Needs Framework that separates legislated duties, health and safety requirements and core services. Capital projects are being ranked with a revised scoring matrix whose criteria include asset condition, growth needs, strategic alignment, legislative compliance, service impacts and risk.

How to weigh in

The Town's 2027 Budget page on Let's Talk Halton Hills posts preliminary information and has a comment guestbook for registered users; the Town says comments go to Council and staff to inform the budget. The Town's key-dates list showed the main public input period running from July to September 2026, and its July 13 news release says the page will keep being updated through the year.

For context, the Town's 2026 budget page says the Mayor directed staff to keep the Town's share of the 2026 property tax increase at no more than 3.5 per cent. That included $500,000 for a State of Good Repair levy for existing infrastructure and $695,000 for a Fire Services levy.