Farmers across Chatham-Kent can breathe a sigh of relief.
CK council met on Monday and voted against increasing the farm tax class ratio from 22 per cent of the residential property rate to 23.5 per cent for the rest of 2025 and 25 per cent for 2026.
Councillor Carmen McGregor brought forward a motion to keep the rate at 22 per cent, a complete 180 from last summer when she made a motion to increase it to 25 per cent.
She explained she had a change of heart after rural services were cut during the 2025 budget talks. This included the cut of dust control services and the average time of topping up gravel roads moving from three years to four years.
"I had a real difficult time, a struggle with myself, asking to increase their taxes yet we've just taken a bunch of services away," said McGregor.
Before McGregor made her motion, several farmers spoke about the impact the tax increase would have on them. This included Mark Huston who said he paid $57,000 in property taxes in 2024 which is up from $14,000 in 2013 despite not doing anything to increase his property's value.
"I thought council needed to hear what it [would do] it one individual," Huston told CK News Today.
Huston also spoke about the cut of rural services. He was overjoyed when Mayor Darrin Canniff brought forward a motion for administration to look into the possibility of spending $30 million right away to pave gravel roads.
"It'll deliver improved rural transportation right now... and by doing this we're gonna lock in the price at today's dollars," explained Canniff.
Currently, the municipality spends around $2 million annually to pave roads. Canniff's motion was unanimously supported.
When asked after the meeting whether the motion was made because of the issues brought up by farmers, Canniff said it was just a coincidence they happened during the same meeting.
Meanwhile, the farm tax class ratio is not permanently set at 22 per cent.
McGregor's motion specifically mentions keeping this rate until properties are properly assessed for the first time since 2016.