FAQs

The budget is a plan that sets out anticipated spending for the year and where the money will come from. It determines the services the municipality will provide and defines any improvements or expenses related to buildings or resources that will be made that year. A budget is the framework for how municipal funds are collected and allocated.

The overall budget can be separated into two main components – the Operating Budget and the Capital Budget. All the municipality’s income is invested in programs and services that make Wasaga Beach an incredible place to live.

The Town of Wasaga Beach operates under four umbrellas for levels of service:

1. Community Services – This includes Water/Waste & Storm Water, Transit and Road, Public Works, Transit, Engineering, Parks, Recreation, Facilities and Library services.
2. Corporate Services – This includes Emergency services, Clerks, Human Resources, Treasury, Information Technology and Cemetery services.
3. Development Services – This includes the Planning and Building Departments and Municipal By-Law Enforcement. 
4. CAO’s Office – This includes Administration, Council, Economic Development, Events, Police services and Beachfront Management.

To provide these services the Town is required to develop a budget that will support the desired Level of Service. Increases to the Level of Service are considered “Enhancements” and will require more funding to support the new Level of Service. 

Some levels of service are set by legislated requirements, such as water and sewer. Others can be established by the “quality of life” elements that Council desires for its residents and others by the economic goals for the community. There are varying factors that contribute to the desired Level of Service, including the population size of the town which in the 2021 census was 24,862.

To fund programs and maintain levels of service, the Town has available several revenue streams:

1. User Fees - this includes water and wastewater fees, parking fees, cemetery services, licenses, planning and permitting. 
2. Grants - this is funding the Town applies for from Provincial, Federal and Regional funding opportunities and is used to help support capital projects or sometimes operating costs.
3. Development Charges - are used for eligible projects. The fees are accumulated as Deferred Revenues until an eligible project is undertaken. 
4. Taxation - is raised for all budgeted costs that are not covered by other revenue sources.

The operating budget is the plan for the day-to-day operations of the Town which includes expenses such as salaries, legal and insurance costs, and winter control. These expenses are required annually to run the municipality. Every Town program and service is funded through the operating budget, which is designed to ensure dependable delivery of a broad array of programs and services that residents rely on every day. Your municipal government is responsible for providing fire and police services, roads, clean water, parks, arenas, library services, and much more. Many of these services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These services and programs are largely funded by tax dollars and user fees which include charges for recreation programs, water, and wastewater services.

The capital budget is the annual plan for the purchase and financing of the Town’s capital assets. Capital assets are projects and expenses where the benefits can be seen over the course of many years, such as roads, bridges, land, buildings, machinery, and equipment. The bulk of the capital spending goes to maintaining and fixing existing infrastructure, and is funded through dedicated accounts (similar to savings accounts) that have been built up through taxation and grants.

Building new infrastructure that is needed for keeping up with the growth of the community is funded through charges on the new developments being built.