Early Numbers and Priorities in Carleton Place’s 2026 budget
CARLETON PLACE — Here’s a quick breakdown of the early numbers and priorities shaping Carleton Place’s 2026 budget.
The proposed tax increase is 3%
- Growth is estimated at 2% ($320,000)
- A 3% tax rate increase would add almost $500,000
- The total proposed levy is $17.3 million
What that means for your property tax bill
- Median home assessment: $295,000 (still frozen at 2016 values)
- A 3% increase adds $23.73 per $100,000 of assessment
- For a typical home: roughly $72 a year, about $6 a month
Big pressures driving the increase
- Garbage collection and landfill fees: + $170,000
- Aquatics contract: + $184,000
- Affordable housing and heritage grants: nearly $500,000, funded partly by the Housing Accessibility Fund
- Cost-of-living increase for all staff and council: 2.5% ($169,000)
- OCIF road funding cut: – $82,344
- Staffing proposals: $146,000 pending council approval
- Benefit enhancements: $55,100 pending approval
- OPP policing increase (estimate): 7% for now, could reach 11%
The 2026 capital plan is $152.6 million
Most of that comes from three major growth-related projects:
- Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, $73 million
- Water Treatment Plant expansion, $40 million
- OPP detachment design, $4.85 million
Other notable items
- Pool building code repairs, $3.78 million, requiring a 12 to 14-month shutdown
- Public Works Yard construction, $3 million
- New O’Donovan Park, $450,000
- Riverside Park playground, $150,000
- Riverside Park splashpad, $175,000
Smaller upgrades touching everyday life
- Johnson Street playground, $75,000
- Kinder Yard AODA retrofit, $200,000
- Library accessibility upgrades, $40,000
- LED streetlight upgrades, $150,000
- Arena lifecycle work (roofs, HVAC, control systems, scoreboard)
Carleton Place is still one of the lowest-taxed communities nearby
- Even with a 3% increase, 2026 rates will sit below the 2025 rates of most neighbouring towns.
- Only Ottawa remains lower due to its large commercial tax base.
Strong-mayor powers apply, but won’t be used
- The mayor has 10 days to veto council budget changes.
- Mayor Toby Randell has publicly stated he won’t use the strong-mayor veto.
- If no veto is issued, the budget is adopted immediately.
- If a veto is issued, council can override it with five of seven votes.
What happens next
- Final adoption is expected no later than Dec. 6.
- Department heads continue presenting requests next week.
- Items needing more time go to a “parking lot” for deeper review.
- A second day of deliberations is scheduled for next Thursday.
RELATED:
Carleton Place opens 2026 budget talks with proposed three per cent tax increase
Keep connected to your community—Read the latest Carleton Place news.
Watch live Carleton Place council meetings on their Youtube Channel.
