MUNICIPAL TAXES AND SPENDING
A closer look at rising property taxes, Village expenditures and the value residents receive for their tax dollars.
MY POSITION
Radium residents understand that maintaining services and infrastructure costs money. However, a 10 percent municipal property tax increase is significant, particularly when residents and businesses are already dealing with rising costs in nearly every part of their lives.
Before asking taxpayers for substantially more, Council should carefully review staffing, consulting, contracting and discretionary spending. Residents deserve a clear explanation of what has caused costs to rise, which expenditures are essential and what measurable value they receive from the additional taxes.
As Mayor, I would support responsible investment in the services and infrastructure Radium needs while bringing greater scrutiny, transparency and accountability to spending decisions. Every tax dollar should be treated with the same care residents and business owners apply to their own finances.
WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS
The Village’s audited financial statements show that taxation revenue increased from approximately $2.64 million in 2024 to $2.85 million in 2025, an increase of about $205,000 or 7.8 percent.
Over the same year, total Village expenses increased from approximately $4.69 million to $5.16 million, an increase of about $474,000 or 10.1 percent. Protective-services expenses rose by approximately 23 percent, public-works expenses by 18 percent and general-government expenses by 8 percent.
The 2026 financial plan then included a further 10 percent increase in municipal property-tax revenue. The effect on an individual tax bill varies according to the property’s assessed value and how that assessment changed relative to other properties.
The audited statements also show that the Village remains in a strong overall financial position. This is not a claim that Radium is facing a financial crisis. The issue is whether expenses and taxes should continue increasing at this pace without a detailed public review of priorities, staffing, contracted services and the value taxpayers receive.
VILLAGE EXPENSES INCREASED BY MORE THAN $1 MILLION
The Village’s audited financial statements show that total annual expenses increased from $4,082,748 in 2022 to $5,162,160 in 2025. That is an increase of $1,079,412, or approximately 26 percent, over three years.
Among major service areas, protective-services expenses increased by approximately 66 percent, development-services expenses by 49 percent, recreation-and-culture expenses by 37 percent, public-works expenses by 36 percent and sewer-services expenses by 30 percent.
Some of these increases may reflect inflation, changing service demands, staffing, amortization or unusual expenses in particular years. The figures do not, by themselves, prove that money was wasted. They do show why residents deserve a clear, department-by-department explanation of rising costs before municipal taxes continue increasing.
THE 2026 PLAN CALLS FOR ANOTHER 10 PERCENT TAX INCREASE
The Village’s 2026 financial plan includes a 10 percent increase in total municipal property-tax revenue.
That does not necessarily mean every property owner’s municipal tax bill will increase by exactly 10 percent. The effect on each property depends on its assessed value and how that assessment changed relative to other properties in Radium.
However, a 10 percent increase in the total amount collected from property owners is significant. Residents deserve a clear explanation of why the additional revenue is required, which services or expenses are driving the increase and what steps were taken to control costs before asking taxpayers to pay more.
Tax increases should be considered alongside the longer-term trend. Village expenses increased by approximately 26 percent between 2022 and 2025, before the additional increase included in the 2026 financial plan.
A SPENDING REVIEW SHOULD COME FIRST
Rising costs do not automatically mean that spending is unnecessary. Municipal services must be maintained, employees must be paid fairly and infrastructure must be repaired or replaced.
However, when expenses and taxes are increasing substantially, Council should review the budget department by department. That review should examine staffing levels, contracted services, consulting costs, administrative expenses and projects that could be reduced, delayed or completed differently.
The goal should not be arbitrary cuts that weaken essential services. It should be to confirm that each expenditure remains necessary, appropriately priced and connected to a clear benefit for residents.
Only after that review should Council determine how much additional revenue must be collected from property owners.