Budgets

Develop a Community Neighbourhood Strategy

A framework for supporting community-led, neighbourhood-level initiatives will help improve community connectivity, safety and civic engagement as we rebuild from COVID-19.

Revamp our municipal website

Our innisfil.ca website needs an overhaul. A fresh look and feel will help excite and engage the community. A more organized and thoughtful website will improve access to information, ensuring that residents can find the information they need, when they need it.

Develop a Seniors Engagement Strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult for seniors, as they face new levels of isolation and stress. By developing a cross-functional Seniors Engagement Strategy, we will ensure that seniors remain engaged members of our community, staying socially connected and healthy.

Improve coordination and access to community services

Many of the social and community services that our residents rely on do not have a physical presence within the municipality. During our Community Needs Assessment exercise, we learned that these agencies want to find better ways to bring their services to the community. By collaborating with key stakeholders and building new partnerships, we will improve coordination and access to services to better support the Innisfil community.

One example of this priority in action is the Rizzardo Health & Wellness Centre, which continues to bring new healthcare services to residents.

Activate Town Square and community programming

COVID-19 has highlighted the need for more outdoor, programmable space, such as the new Town Square. By developing and providing programs for all seasons, we will ensure that community members of all ages have safe access to social, fitness, artistic and cultural opportunities. Staying safely outdoors helps reduce the spread of COVID-19.

How your tax dollars are distributed

From every property tax dollar we collect:

• 44 cents go to the Town of Innisfil
• 28 cents go to the County of Simcoe
• 15 cents go to South Simcoe Police
• 13 cents go to the Province of Ontario's education system

Each organization is responsible for different services, but your municipal government (the Town) has the highest influence on the services you use day-to-day. This includes community elements such as libraries, emergency services, parks and trails, clean tap water, public transit and more.

How your tax dollars are calculated

Property assessment and property taxes play a significant role in the Town's budget. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for assessing every property in Ontario. The Town uses the property assessments to determine the tax rate required to collect the revenue needed to deliver services to our residents. The tax rate is then applied to the assessed value of each property to arrive at the amount of property taxes owed.

Learn more about property taxes and assessments.

Service-based budgeting

Our service-based budget breaks down costs and resources by service, rather than by department, helping residents better see where tax dollars are being spent.

For example, in a traditional budget, $1 million may be distributed to a municipal Operations Department. In a service-based budget, this $1 million is broken down into:

• $100,000 for roadways
• $100,000 for sidewalks
• $150,000 for lake access
• $150,000 for snow removal
• $250,000 for recreational spaces
• $250,000 for park maintenance

Advantages of service-based budgeting

• Improved Services: Taking a closer look at what we do allows us to focus on making sure we are operating efficiently and effectively.
• Back to Basics: A service-based budget means every employee and leader is asking themselves about what services they provide and where they should focus their time in order to deliver the best value.
• Easier to Understand: A service-based budget is a more simple and focused way of viewing a budget. By creating a more accessible budget, we are empowering Council and the community to have a better understanding of the value and costs of the services we provide.
• Public Accountability: A service-based budget allows employees to track their time based on the services they deliver. All costs associated with the service are captured, uncovering the true cost in a more holistic way.

Operating Budget vs. Capital Budget

Learn more about the differences between an Operating Budget and a Capital Budget:

Operating Budget

The Operating Budget is used to keep the municipality running on a day-to-day basis.

When you call the Town to report a problem, pull over for firefighters on their way to a call, or attend a library program, this is the Operating Budget at work. They make up essential services, such as pothole repairs, snow clearing and park maintenance. This budget ensures that we have engineers, librarians, community standards officers, town planners, administrative support, financial analysts and an overall great team of employees who strive to make Innisfil a great place to live.

Capital Budget

The Capital Budget is used to request funding for new assets, major repairs and replacement of existing assets.

Whether we are building a new health centre, replacing a roof on a building or repaving a road, this is the Capital Budget at work. Capital Budget projects include initiatives like bridge repairs, road-widenings, new parks and facilities, and new construction, expansions or renovations.

Capital Levy

Typically, the Town collects the Capital Levy ̶ money set aside for asset management so we can pay for current and future repairs and replacement of infrastructure.

Innovative Innisfil 2030

Every Town project, initiative and goal, as well as our budget planning, is guided by our Community Strategic Plan: Innovative Innisfil 2030. The plan is developed through extensive consultation and thousands of comments and pieces of feedback from the community. Through the plan, we aim to ensure we are ready to face the challenges of COVID-19. The pillars of Grow, Connect and Sustain guide our strategic goals and initiatives.

Guiding financial policies

In addition to Innovative Innisfil 2030, we also use these Town financial policies to help guide our decision-making when developing the budget:

• Capital Budget Funding Policy
• Debt Management Policy
• Fleet Management Policy
• Multi-year Budget Policy
• New Residential Streetlights and Intersection Streetlights Prioritization Policy
• Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) Slot Revenue - Allocation and Utilization Policy
• Property Tax Surplus/Deficit Disposition Tax

Key Budget development dates and reports

The budget process includes setting targets, proposing the Budget, deliberating changes, incorporating public input and final approval.

Our 2021-2022 budget preparation timeline included:

• June 3, 2020: Council set the budget targets with the Budget Direction.
• Nov. 4, 2020: Staff presented the 2021-2022 Proposed Budget to Council. View the agenda and presentation to Council.
• Nov. 18, 2020: Staff held an 'Ask Us: The Budget' live event on YouTube, allowing community members to ask questions on the Proposed Budget.
• Nov. 30, 2020: Budget deliberation day was held.
• Dec. 9, 2020: Council passed the 2021-2022 Budget.