The City’s Budget is Your Budget

RICHMOND HILL – Today, Mayor David West’s 2025 Budget was adopted to establish a path for essential investments for the safety of our community and to help ensure the City has the right infrastructure in place for our growing community. The budget was developed through extensive research and discussions, including public consultation, to ensure it makes the most out of every dollar spent to sustain Richmond Hill’s thriving, vibrant and inclusive community.

Composed of an operating budget that supports the city’s day-to-day operations and a capital budget that invests in the city’s future, the 2025 budget represents a responsible approach to maintaining the many programs and services that residents have come to rely on every day.

The total 2025 operating budget of $245 million results in a 4.69% property tax rate increase for Richmond Hill taxpayers, reflecting a 3.19% increase for the operating budget and a 1.5% increase for the Capital Asset Sustainability Levy. This increase equals $8.37 more per month on the City’s portion of the tax bill for the average single detached residential property in the city, assessed at $1,146,000. Over 37% of the operating budget comes from sources other than the tax dollar, such as user fees and grants.

By 2031, the city’s population is expected to grow by 25,000. The capital budget of $89.5 million will fund over 160 projects to ensure the city’s infrastructure and assets, including parks, trails, recreation centres and roads and sidewalks are safe and reliable for our growing community.

The impact of Richmond Hill’s annual budget is far and wide, and it touches the lives of everyone in the city—providing for our community today and setting our vision tomorrow. The City’s budget is your budget.

For a comprehensive look at the budget and a video about how the annual budget is developed, visit RichmondHill.ca/Budget.

Quotes

”The 2025 budget represents a sound and balanced approach to support the needs of our ever-growing community and takes on the financial challenges our society faces, all the while maintaining the high level of service our residents value and expect from their City.”

– Mayor David West

Quick Facts

• Richmond Hill’s Senior Tax Grant for 2025 is $445. Residents 65 years old or older who own their home should visit RichmondHill.ca/TaxAssistancePrograms to determine if they qualify. The online application form is available at RichmondHill.ca/SeniorTaxGrant. 
• In 2025, Richmond Hill will keep only approximately 28% of residential property taxes collected, with 51% sent to York Region for regional services and 21% sent to school boards for education funding. Richmond Hill Council controls only the local portion of taxes. 

Additional Resources

• RichmondHill.ca/Budget
• RichmondHill.ca/TaxAssistancePrograms

Backgrounder: Richmond Hill 2025 Budget

Operating Budget

The total 2025 operating budget of $245 million results in a 4.69% property tax rate increase for Richmond Hill taxpayers, reflecting a 3.19% increase for the operating budget and a 1.5% increase for the Capital Asset Sustainability Levy. This increase equals $8.37 more per month on the City’s portion of the tax bill for the average single detached residential property in the city, assessed at $1,146,000. Over 37% of the operating budget comes from sources other than the tax dollar, such as user fees and grants.

The Operating Budget also includes $550,000 for the 16 new firefighters approved in the 2022 budget, the third of five years of phased-in funding, ensuring Fire and Emergency Services have the resources necessary to keep the community safe.

Capital Budget

Richmond Hill’s 2025 Capital Budget will invest $89.5 million in the community. The annual capital budget does not have a direct impact on the property tax rate.

Richmond Hill’s capital planning process is integrated with the City’s enterprise asset management system to ensure the City prioritizes the right projects at the right time for optimal use of available funding and maximum value to taxpayers. The result is a fiscally responsible budget that is balanced with the delivery of the City’s key plans and strategies, including the Strategic Plan 2024-2027.

Capital planning includes both growth-related and state-of-good-repair projects. Growth-related projects are investments in new or existing infrastructure to benefit current and future residents, such as expanding parks. State-of-good-repair projects are investments in existing capital assets to maintain their current function or life span, such as repairs to a pool.

Significant growth-related projects in the 2025 capital budget include new sidewalks and watermain improvements, Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory revitalization design, Yonge and Major Mackenzie new park design and traffic calming improvements and signals. State-of-good-repair projects in 2025 will span from trail improvements, fleet replacement, community centres, arenas and library rehabilitation and upgrades to 27 kilometres of road rehabilitation.

Water and Wastewater Budget

Water rates finance the delivery of clean, safe water to households and businesses, including the cost of water, daily testing, watermain maintenance and the staff to perform these functions.

The 2025 Water and Wastewater budget is funded by water billing and does not impact the property tax rate. The rates are guided by the 2024 Water and Wastewater Financial Plan recommendations, which emphasize allocating sufficient funds for future capital renewal needs. Water and wastewater rates will increase by 6.8%, effective April 1, 2025. For households with an average water consumption of 170 cubic metres per year, this is equal to a monthly increase of $4.53.

Stormwater Budget

The stormwater fee is paid by residents to help cover the cost to protect the community from flooding and erosion and improve water quality in streams and rivers. Stormwater comes from rain and melted snow that flows into the storm sewers and stormwater ponds across the city. Stormwater management is a citywide service that protects the community and the environment. Richmond Hill’s stormwater management facilities include more than 95 stormwater ponds, 18,000 catch basins, 1,100 culverts/ road crossings and 540 km of storm sewer.

The stormwater rates are guided by the 2024 Stormwater Management Financial Plan recommendations, which emphasize allocating sufficient funds for future capital renewal needs. Over the years, funding has not kept pace with the growing need for stormwater management and infrastructure. The 2025 stormwater fee will increase 50% for all property types, effective April 1, 2025. On an average-sized residential property in Richmond Hill with a billable area of 7,027 square feet, this is equal to a monthly increase of $3.22.