Lakeshore proposing 4% tax rate increase in 2026 draft budget

The Municipality of Lakeshore water tower seen in Lakeshore, Ont. on April 15, 2025. (Bob Bellacicco/CTV News Windsor)

Lakeshore residents could see a 4 per cent increase in their tax rate for 2026.

The 2026 draft budget was presented to council on Tuesday evening, which calls for a tax rate increase of 4 per cent, or $2.1 million.

Total expenditures of the budget sits at $65.7 million, with $34.3 million of that allocated to capital projects.

This proposed budget would mean that the average home valued at $270,000 would equate to a monthly tax increase of $6.32.

Of the total budget increase, approximately $716,000 is allocated to contractual salary increases, approximately $892,000 or a 2.1 per cent increase in Ontario Provincial Police contract expenses, $300,000 to support added compliance regarding wastewater rates, gravity sewer and stormwater repair work, $348,000 for increased fire service response volume, among more.

In the proposed 2026 capital budget, major projects include $4.3 million for the Stoney Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, $3.8 million for road enhancements, $1.8 million for improvements at the intersection of Manning Road and Amy Croft Drive, and $1.6 million for the reconstruction of Wallace Road.

Justin Rousseau, Lakeshore’s deputy chief administrative officer and treasurer, says they want to ensure growth in Lakeshore continues.

“We’re going to be investing in servicing infrastructure and sewer connection to the west, and also working towards the east to ensure we can design and build a pollution control plant for our eastern communities that are seeing difficulty in developing because of sewer capacity.”

He says the rise in OPP costs plays a large roll in this proposed 4 per cent increase.

“The OPP delay of costing that we were able to see last year, about $500,000, doesn’t exist this year. And then we also had some mitigating strategies we used last year, we used our police teserve to reduce the burden to the tax payers... we’re not able to do that this year.”

Rousseau says the municipality has received over $77 million in provincial and federal grants — significantly helping the tax rate remain lower.

“We align all of our master plans, we look at all of our funding commitments, and all of our infrastructure, our debt levels, and all of those things. The reduction of $77 million in pressure on our debt rates certainly allows us to tackle larger infrastructure projects ahead of time.”

Residents will once again be able to use Lakeshore’s digital budget app, which features interactive tables and charts, and let’s users explore the budget.

Lakeshore council approved a 2.91 per cent tax increase in 2025.

Council deliberations are set to take place on Dec. 4, and Dec. 5 if necessary.