2026 Town of Grimsby Budget Adopted: Investing in Community

Every year, the Town builds the budget around what matters most to the community. Informed by resident input and Council’s strategic priorities, the annual budget outlines how the Town allocates resources to deliver services, maintain operations, and invest in infrastructure. The draft budget is then brought to Council, who carefully consider how to balance service levels with the increasing cost of providing them, ensuring decisions remain both responsible and sustainable.

The consolidated budget for 2026 can be found here:

https://www.grimsby.ca/town-hall/budget-and-financial-statements/budgets/

Key Highlights  

• The budget was developed with a focus on ensuring Grimsby remains a strong and sustainable community while advancing the Town’s strategic priorities of People, Places and Prosperity.
• The budget results in a Town tax levy increase of 4.7% or $70 for the average home assessed at $442,000.
  • If you own an average home in Grimsby, your Town portion of property taxes will go up by about $70 this year.
  • Your total property tax bill is split three ways:
    • Niagara Region: 64%
    • School Board: 11%
    • Town of Grimsby: 25%
  • The 4.7% increase only applies to the Town’s 25% portion of your overall tax bill — not the whole thing.
• Annual sponsorship revenues of $100,000 associated with the Peach King Centre have been incorporated into the budget to mitigate the increase.
• New this year – a portion of wastewater charges will no longer be levied on the tax bill as in past years. All water and wastewater costs will now be recovered entirely on the Water Bills.
• Water and wastewater fixed rates will now be based on water meter size. The water fixed rate for a standard residential-size meter is set at $316 for the year. The corresponding wastewater fixed rate is set at $413.
• Water and wastewater consumption rates are set at $1.79 per cubic metre and $2.30 per cubic metre for water and wastewater respectively.
• Starting in 2026, Water Bills will be issued once every 2 months instead of once every 4 months to help people better manage their payments and monitor their usage.

The budget includes increased funding allocated for the Town’s asset management reserves; additional funding for WSIB needs; and increased funds to meet the Town’s projected debt requirements related to the renovated and expanded Peach King Centre.

The budget also reflects the Town’s ongoing commitment to investing in essential infrastructure with a $20 million capital budget. Of this total, $7.3 million relates to the Wastewater Inflow and Infiltration project that will help reduce Grimsby’s share of unnecessary wastewater flows into Niagara Region treatment plants. The Town is leveraging a provincial grant in the amount of $7.1M to fund the majority of this project. 

Other notable capital projects include:

• $1.9M to replace and update the refrigeration plant at the Peach King Centre, replacing the existing ammonia system, providing a safe, long-term solution while improving system performance.
• $1.6M for road rehabilitation and resurfacing.
• Continued investments in several parks and open spaces including Dorchester Park, Morocco Park, Whitaker Park and Forty Mile Creek Park.

It is important to note that provincial legislation requires a balanced budget, money coming in equals money going out, also known as revenues equal expenditures. Learn more about how Grimsby's Town Budget works by watching this video https://www.grimsby.ca/TownBudgetVideo.

Quotes:

"This budget reflects our commitment to responsibly investing in the services, infrastructure, and programs that matter most to our residents. By balancing fiscal prudence with community priorities, we are ensuring Grimsby continues to thrive today and into the future."

- Mayor Jeff Jordan, Town of Grimsby

"Our focus in developing this budget has been on sustainable operations and efficient resource management. This plan provides the framework to deliver essential services effectively while supporting Council’s strategic priorities and the long-term wellbeing of our community."

- Sarah Kim, Chief Administrative Officer, at the Town of Grimsby.

Media Contact:

Christina Davidson

Communications Specialist

cdavidson@grimsby.ca | 905-945-9634