Each year, the Municipality of Port Hope develops an annual budget that guides how we invest in services, programs, and infrastructure for our community. The budget is more than numbers—it reflects our collective priorities, challenges, and opportunities.

For 2026, our focus is to help inform our residents about the services funded by tax contributions and how these services benefit the community. We're also raising awareness and explaining the infrastructure gap - an important piece of information for all tax payers.

The municipal budget affects everyone. From road maintenance and recreation programs to emergency services and cultural events, your tax dollars support the services that shape daily life in Port Hope. By engaging in this process, you help ensure the 2026 Budget reflects the needs and values of our community.

Budget Survey Results

In the fall of 2024, we launched an in-depth budget survey and were thrilled with such strong participation - more than ten percent of our voting population shared their input. The feedback we received has been incredibly valuable, not only in shaping the 2025 Budget, but also in guiding decisions for the 2026 Budget and beyond.

Review the Survey Results open in new window

Understanding Tax Dollar Allocation

Municipal budgeting involves balancing a wide range of services and priorities, from maintaining roads and parks to funding emergency response, recreation programs, and long-term infrastructure. Each dollar collected through property taxes is carefully allocated to ensure the community’s needs are met while planning responsibly for the future. By breaking down how your tax dollars are spent, we aim to provide clarity and help residents see the direct connection between the budget and the services they rely on every day.

Here are some examples of municipal services and assets that have been paid for through previous municipal tax dollars:

Understanding Asset Management Planning

Think of asset management planning in terms of your own household maintenance:

  • If you don’t maintain your car, you’ll eventually face a costly breakdown.
  • If you don’t repair your roof, the damage gets worse and more expensive over time.

Funding the Asset Management Plan is about ensuring Port Hope’s “house” is in order so that our community is safe, reliable, and sustainable.

Municipal infrastructure - like roads, bridges, water systems, and community facilities - provides the essential services we rely on every day. These services support the health, safety, and quality of life of our community, while also driving economic growth and protecting our environment.

Asset management is the process of making sure this infrastructure continues to meet community needs in a reliable and cost-effective way. It involves regularly reviewing the condition of our assets, updating data, and planning ahead so we can manage repairs, replacements, and investments wisely. By taking a long-term approach, we ensure that today’s decisions support both current and future generations.

To do this, the Municipality has developed an Asset Management Plan (AMP). This AMP identifies the current practices and strategies that are in place to manage public infrastructure and makes recommendations where they can be further refined. Through the implementation of sound asset management strategies, the Municipality of Port Hope can ensure that public infrastructure is managed to support the sustainable delivery of municipal services.

Why does this matter?

When you pay your property taxes, you’re not just covering today’s services—you’re also investing in the future of our community. A funded Asset Management Plan ensures that our infrastructure (roads, bridges, water systems, and more) can be properly maintained and replaced when needed. Without adequate funding, we risk falling behind and facing larger, more costly problems down the road.

Communities that underfund their infrastructure—like what we’ve seen happen elsewhere—face sudden, expensive repairs and service disruptions. Port Hope is working to avoid this situation by planning responsibly now.

You may think infrastructure funding doesn’t affect you, but it does. Right now, the Municipality only has 31% of the funds needed to maintain infrastructure. While this figure is low, Council and staff have made sizeable improvements over the current term, increasing that number from 27% in 2023.

Here’s what that means in real terms:

  • Road Maintenance Delays: More potholes, rougher driving conditions, and higher repair costs when small issues become large.

  • Aging Water and Sewer Infrastructure: Emergency repairs are not only inconvenient but also much more costly than planned replacements

  • Facility Deterioration:
    Community facilities like recreation centres, libraries, or arenas may face deferred maintenance - such as outdated HVAC systems or roof leaks, leading to large problems down the road

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Digital Conversation - Asset Management

Discover an easier way to explore asset management and understand the funding gap - tune in to our latest Data Dialogue. This AI-powered conversation draws directly from the Council-approved Asset Management Plan and staff report, making complex information clear and accessible.

2026 Municipal Budget Update

At its final meeting of the year, Municipality of Port Hope Council approved the schedule for the 2026 municipal budget process.

Since the introduction of Strong Mayor Powers in 2025, the budget process has changed. Under this legislation, the Mayor is responsible for preparing and presenting the budget to Council before February 1.

In October 2025, the Mayor confirmed that she would not use her authority to independently propose and adopt the 2026 budget. Instead, she instructed municipal staff to prepare the draft budget for Council’s review, following the Municipality’s traditional process of collaboration and discussion. This decision underscores a commitment to inclusivity and transparency, prioritizing democratic engagement over unilateral decision-making. By involving council members and the community, the Mayor promotes trust and consensus-building, which strengthens the Municipality’s governance framework and sets a precedent for future participatory approaches.

Staff have been working diligently through the summer and fall to develop both the capital and operating budgets. This process has involved a detailed review of all line items and consideration of current economic conditions, including rising costs for materials, fuel, and construction. The goal is to maintain essential services, while minimizing the impact on the tax levy by pursuing efficiencies, grants, and partnerships. Public input will be welcomed as Council works to strike the right balance for Port Hope.

Council has approved the staff-proposed budget meeting for January 13, 2025, in the Council Chambers at Town Hall. A follow-up meeting will be held on January 15, 2025, to review any recommendations from Council. At that point, the Mayor will consider the recommendations from Council and establish the Mayor’s Proposed Budget that will be published on the municipal website for public review and comment. Over the following week, Council members may submit proposed amendments to the Clerk in preparation for inclusion in the agenda for Council consideration at a meeting on February 3.