December Council Highlights: Tax Relief, Ward Boundaries, and Barrie Annexation

During its December meetings, Springwater Township Council addressed several key issues, including providing tax relief for residents, reviewing ward boundaries, and discussing potential boundary expansion with neighboring municipalities.

Tax Relief

The council allocated over $432,330 in one-time financial aid from the province, designated for municipal police services, to offer tax relief to residents. Councillor Phil Fischer proposed using $147,330 of this amount to reduce the 2025 tax levy. Fischer expressed reservations about saving funds for future use, calling it “a bit of a socialist approach.”

Ward 1 Councillor Matt Garwood voiced concerns about the township’s financial future. “We know expenses are rising. If we don’t plan now, we’ll be in an even worse position next year,” he said, advocating for setting aside funds to address future cost increases.

Finance Director Greg Bedard and CAO Jeff Schmidt emphasized the uncertainty of future OPP costs. “Policing will cost $3 million in 2025. Without continued relief, that cost could spike in 2026,” Bedard explained.

Mayor Jennifer Coughlin opposed Fischer’s amendment, stressing the importance of financial prudence. “Saving for tomorrow is financial planning. Building reserves today prevents larger tax increases in the future,” she said.

Despite the debate, the amendment passed with a majority vote, reducing the township’s portion of the tax rate increase to 5.78% and achieving a blended increase of 4.06%.

Ward Boundary Review

The council also reviewed findings from a ward boundary study conducted by Watson and Associates, which identified significant population growth since 2013-14. This growth has resulted in disparities between the largest and smallest wards.

The review presented two options for addressing the imbalance:

1. Option One: A more balanced approach that creates larger, less connected wards.
2. Option Two: A modification of the current system that resolves major issues but may require further adjustments in the future.

While Option One offers better population parity, Option Two preserves the existing structure with a 25% variance in population parity, raising concerns about its long-term viability. The council plans to deliberate further before making a final decision.

Barrie Annexation

Discussions also focused on the City of Barrie’s annexation proposals involving Oro-Medonte and Springwater. A land needs analysis by Hemson Consulting concluded that Barrie has sufficient long-term employment land but lacks “shovel-ready” parcels.

The study determined that the proposed annexation lands in Oro-Medonte and Springwater are unsuitable for employment purposes due to environmental and logistical constraints. Although Barrie’s employment land supply is adequate, the city must intensify housing development and assess additional land needs to meet its official plan targets. The analysis also found that Barrie’s population growth is falling short of projections.

A collaborative work plan involving all stakeholders is to be developed to address these challenges.