Chatham-Kent (CK) council has approved its 2026 Annual Budget Update, which will see a 4.63 per cent increase.
On Wednesday night, the budget committee met for the second time to deliberate on the budget.
The budget was originally proposed at 4.92 per cent.
During Monday night’s meeting, the increase was reduced by nearly one per cent, but changes to the base budget brought the number back up.
The meeting began with councillors unanimously approving closed session changes, including a base tax-funded requirement for wage and burden of $26,922, a base area-rated requirement for wage and burden of $1,700, and a one-time authorization of $2,040,071 for the use of the employment and labour relations reserve.
Councillor Anthony Ceccacci put forward a motion to allocate $1.1 million towards two applications of dust suppressant adjacent to residential driveways and to consider increased applications at intersections.
Ceccacci introduced the motion as a pilot project, meaning the funds would be supplied from the Strategic Reserve, resulting in no tax impact.
“We need to look at improving,” said Ceccacci, noting that one application, which the municipality has done previously, was not enough for rural residents.
Councillor Aaron Hall described the motion as “punting” the decision to the next council, with councillor Alysson Storey proposing the costs be added back to the base budget.
Ceccacci’s motion passed 13 to 4, with councillors Melissa Harrigan, Hall, Rhonda Jubenville, and Storey being opposed.
Councillor Michael Bondy then put forward a motion rescinding the previously approved motion, instead reinstating the prior level of dust suppressant, resulting in a base level tax increase of $1,457,683.
Councillor Jamie McGrail put forward a friendly amendment, adding that modifications be allowed.
The motion passed 10 to 7.
This changed the tax increase to 4.63 per cent from 3.96 per cent.
Councillor Ryan Doyle, who put through failed motions Tuesday, wasn’t thrilled with the number, expressing his hope to have the increase closer to 3 per cent than 5 per cent.
To get the tax rate to 4.49 per cent, Doyle put forward a motion for that sum to be further reduced from the tax funded AMP lifecycle inflation.
The motion failed 12 to 5, with only councillors Conor Allin, Bondy, Doyle, Jubenville, and John Wright supporting the motion.
Ceccacci also made a last-ditch effort to reduce the increase, calling for the business case gravel road conversion program acceleration’s 2026 base of $157,050 to be funded from the 1.5 per cent AMP allocation.
His motion failed as well, 10 to 7.
Harrigan brought forward the motion to lock in the budget, and it passed 10 to 7.
The budget update was then brought before council and passed again 10 to 7, with councillors Brock McGregor, Bondy, Ceccacci, Doyle, Jubenville, Trevor Thompson, and Storey remaining opposed.
This new tax rate will cost the average household an extra $172.
Council is set to meet again on Monday for a council meeting.
