Residents in Whitby will experience a 1.2 per cent rise in the town’s share of property taxes after the budget for 2026 was approved on Friday. Mayor Elizabeth Roy stated she won’t use her Strong Mayor Powers to veto any changes made by the council to this budget, resulting in an overall increase of 3.44 per cent compared to last year.
The $198 million operating budget for Whitby will help maintain essential programs and services such as fire protection, waste management, parks and trails, road upkeep, community facilities, recreational activities, and libraries. Additionally, it includes $62 million for capital projects.
This budget also covers significant developments like the Whitby Sports Complex and a new fire station in west Whitby that will be staffed with 20 firefighters to accommodate rapid community growth.
Other important initiatives consist of:
continued construction on the Mid-Block Arterial Roadway and Columbus Road community events such as the Home Sweet Home Festival upgrading playground equipment & improving accessibility at Divine and Folkstone Parks enhancements along the waterfront around Shirley Scott Park new traffic safety measures including pedestrian crossings and traffic signal updates/signage road maintenance, resurfacing, and reconstruction
The town has introduced a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) collected from visitors staying in local hotels and motels. They are also exploring other non-tax revenue sources to ease property tax hikes. For 2025, Whitby expects to earn over $600,000 from MAT revenues which will be reinvested into the community.
A rebate program for low-income seniors and homeowners with disabilities will see an increase to $543 in 2026.
“This has been a challenging budget year for Whitby – and for communities across Ontario – with pressures from inflation, population growth, tariffs, and continued provincial downloading,” Roy said. “We worked hard to mitigate these impacts by making reductions across all departments for a savings of $2 million, pausing new staff hires for 2026, and introducing new revenue sources such as the Municipal Accommodation Tax on hotels and motels.”
“The result is a budget that balances the need for affordability with the importance of delivering high-quality services and planning responsibly for Whitby’s future.”
Roy expressed gratitude towards residents who “took the time share feedback” during the budgeting process as well as council members who contributed amendments.
“Their work helped make this a collaborative document that reflects the needs and priorities of our whole community.”
In comparing residential tax rates within Greater Toronto Area municipalities based on annual property taxes paid on homes valued at $500,000, two municipalities top out at over $7,500 each while Whitby’s amount stands at $6,661.
The final council-approved budget for 2026 can be found at whitby. ca/Budget.
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“This has been a challenging budget year for Whitby – and for communities across Ontario – with pressures from inflation, population growth, tariffs, and continued provincial downloading,” Roy said. “We worked hard to mitigate these impacts by making reductions across all departments for a savings of $2 million, pausing new staff hires for 2026, and introducing new revenue sources such as the Municipal Accommodation Tax on hotels and motels.”
“The result is a budget that balances the need for affordability with the importance of delivering high-quality services and planning responsibly for Whitby’s future.”
Roy expressed gratitude towards residents who “took the time share feedback” during the budgeting process as well as council members who contributed amendments.
“Their work helped make this a collaborative document that reflects the needs and priorities of our whole community.”
In comparing residential tax rates within Greater Toronto Area municipalities based on annual property taxes paid on homes valued at $500,000, two municipalities top out at over $7,500 each while Whitby’s amount stands at $6,661.
The final council-approved budget for 2026 can be found at whitby. ca/Budget.
INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies
Last 30 Days: 66,043 Votes
All Time: 1,228,630 Votes
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