BRUCEDALE – The proposed 2026 budget for Guelph/Eramosa Township totals $23.4 million and includes a proposed tax increase of $41.82 (2.71 per cent) on homes assessed at $500,000.
Staff presented the draft budget at a Nov. 7 special meeting of council.
Finance director Maneesh Kulal told council the proposed tax increase for residents can be attributed to inflation, higher insurance costs and the rising cost of living.
Councillor Bruce Dickieson said he’d like to see a 2% tax increase added on top of the 2.71% to go towards infrastructure renewal.
Mayor Chris White opposed the idea, saying he is “comfortable with the 2.71% increase” as it sufficiently meets the township’s needs.
Of the $23.4-million proposed budget, $5.2 million is earmarked for water and wastewater, $10 million for operating expenditures, $4.8 million for capital expenditures, $3.2 million for reserves and $200,000 for long-term debt payment.
Kulal told council the proposed budget would be funded with:
- $5.2 million from water and wastewater user rates and development charges;
- $9.2 million in other non-tax revenue such as user fees, grants, development charges and reserves; and
- $9 million from property taxes.
General administration
Phase two of the townships’s asset management plan is expected to take place next year and is expected cost around $85,380.
Other administration projects include a municipal office upgrade to cost around $8,000 as well as a salary grid review expected to cost $30,000. All of these projects are to be funded through reserves.
Fire, emergency services
Guelph/Eramosa Fire Chief Jim Petrik presented the fire and emergency services portion of the proposed budget.
He told council he hopes to purchase a new pumper/ tanker next year to replace pump 20 which was originally purchased in 2004 and has now reached the end of its service life.
“The replacement was deferred for five years to prioritize the acquisition of an aerial apparatus; however, it is now necessary to proceed in order to maintain tanker shuttle accreditation,” states the proposed 2026 budget.
The truck is expected to cost $950,000 and will be funded through reserves ($677,483) and a debenture ($272,517).
The fire department has had tanker shuttle accreditation for the last two decades, meaning “our residents get a discount on their fire insurance with their insurance companies,” said Petrik.
Public works
The public works department has a large list of projects for next year, totalling $1,931,884. They include:
- Mill Road resurfacing, from Wellington Road 38 to Watson Road, for $705,000 and to be funded through the Canada Community Benefit Fund (CCBF);
- Main Street North sidewalk and boulevard reconstruction in Rockwood for $212,000, funded by reserves;
- traffic calming speed bumps on Barden Street (Eden Mills), Indian Trail (Eden Mills) and Sammon Drive (Rockwood) for $50,000, funded by resurfacing reserves;
- Jones Baseline culvert replacement for $190,000, to be funded through CCBF;
- sidewalk plow replacement for $208,884, a carry over into 2026, funded through the working fund;
- traffic counters for $20,000, funded through development charges;
- dash cams and GPS for municipal vehicles and machinery for $56,000, funded through the modernization fund;
- Brucedale works yard site grading for $380,000, funded through infrastructure renewal reserves;
- road condition survey for $30,000, funded by reserves; and
- Marden public works shop miscellaneous upgrades and repairs for $80,000, funded through reserves.
Councillor Corey Woods asked why staff wouldn’t resurface Watson Road as well as Mill Road.
“Watson is often used as a bypass,” said Woods. “I think the condition of Watson is also worse than Mill Road.”
Director of public works Harry Niemi said it all comes down to funding and necessity, noting, “Watson is a much lower volume road”.
Water, wastewater
The water and wastewater department also has a long list of projects, with four carried over from 2025.
Carry-over projects include the completion of the Rockwood radio frequency communication upgrade.
This project began in 2025 and will continue into 2026 with a budget of $30,000 to be funded through water and wastewater reserves.
Other carry-over items include:
- Catherine Street (Rockwood) railway watermain connection, with a budget of $800,000 to be funded by development charges and reserves;
- Alma Street (Highway 7) watermain replacement in Rockwood, estimated to cost $340,000 and to be funded through reserves; and
- cleaning of two production wells in Rockwood (Station Street and Milne pumphouses) for $50,000, to be funded through reserves.
Other projects, all of which will be funded by reserves, include;
- $20,000 for sewage pump maintenance and repairs;
- $35,000 for variable frequency drives for the Bernardi and Station Street pumphouses;
- $40,000 for a Rockwood to Guelph forcemain feasibility study;
- $50,000 or water meter replacements; and
- $65,000 for hydrant maintenance.
Parks, recreation
One of the largest areas of spending in the proposed 2026 budget is parks and recreation, with a total of $1,614,500.
The department proposed a total of 14 capital projects including;
- $175,000 for a dump truck replacement;
- $410,000 for four pickleball courts each at Marden and Rockmosa parks; and
- $600,000 for turf replacement inside the Royal Distributing Athletic Performance Centre in Marden.
Staff also suggested a multi-use court with lights in Rockmosa Park for $145,000, but Woods questioned the need for it.
“There should be a multi-use pad or a pickleball court, not both, at Rockmosa this year,” said Woods.
Staff were later directed to scrap the multi-use court for 2026.
Planning/economic development
Clerk Amanda Knight presented the planning and economic development department budget, which proposed a single capital expenditure.
The previously proposed Rockwood gateway signs will be a carry over item in 2026.
Knight informed council that the project could cost up to $140,000, averaging $40,000 a sign.
She also noted the number of signs has been increased from three to four.
“It’s way out of line,” said White. “The costing is far more than I would want to see us pay on gateway signs … we need to look at this again and we need to get this cost down.”
Woods, echoed that sentiment, reminding staff that despite the recommendation to use reserve funds, the money is “still taxpayer money.”
Council agreed to approve the project for 2026 but said there will be further discussions to eliminate costs.
“There’s no way we are paying $40,000 a sign,” said White.
The public is invited to a public budget meeting on Nov. 25 at 7pm in the council chamber (8348 Wellington Rd. 124).
