Kingsville Town Council approved the 2026 Budget at its December 10, 2025, budget deliberations. The municipal tax increase is 5.9%, which represents an annual increase of $126.07 on the average home in Kingsville.*

2.1% of the tax increase (or $44.91 on the average home in Kingsville) is from a $535,107 increase to the Town’s Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) contract related to new, province-wide OPP wage contracts outside of Council’s control.

The municipality faced many budget pressures this year and took steps to reduce costs in other areas, including not filling vacancies in its Planning and Legal departments.

The 2026 budget includes:

• $2.6 million for road reconstruction and resurfacing
• $1.4 million for bridge replacements and rehabilitations
• $270,000 for sidewalk replacements
• $619,000 in increased contributions to road, bridge, facility, and park and fleet lifecycle reserves to address historical funding deficits
• $1.2 million to replace Engine 122, a key fire response vehicle
• $625,000 to replace the Town’s aging street sweeper (“Pig Pen”)

Council recognized a need for focused leadership of its Parks and Recreation department. With a current vacancy in the Manager of Parks and Recreation role, Council approved replacing it with a director-level position. They also moved the Communications and Marketing Assistant role from part-time to full-time, understanding the importance of investing in timely communications to residents.

“There were many challenges in preparing this year’s budget,” said Chief Administrative Officer John Norton. “I want to thank our finance team, our managers, and Mayor and Council for working closely to ensure our 2026 budget respects financial reality while balancing our commitment to creating a thriving, resilient and welcoming town for all residents.”

The Town appreciates all of the residents who took the time to review the budget and ask clarifying questions on its citizen engagement portal, HaveYourSayKingsville.ca. Once updated, we will post the 2026 Final Budget on the Town’s Finance and Budget page.

*Based on MPAC assessment, the average household in Kingsville is assessed at approximately $250,000 (2016 assessment rates).

~ Photo by Chris Anson