The 2025 budget for Lambton County comes with a tax rate hike of 5.3 per cent.
That represents an increase of approximately $26.38 per $100,000 of residential assessment, not including municipal and education taxes.
The $323.2 million document approved Wednesday morning in Wyoming, includes $3.6 million to be added to the affordable housing reserve fund, up from a $3 million contribution in 2024.
Council also approved over $10 million towards the construction of a new EMS Headquarters in Sarnia through debenture and reserves.
Warwick Township Mayor Todd Case wants the county to have a plan in place to prepare for the potential impact from the US imposed tariffs.
"I just want the certainty, I want to know and have the comfort level when I leave here today, that if we find these tariffs, as the treasurer said, start to add up and start affecting us in other ways, that our administration will look at the current budgets for each department and try to find those savings to help offset some of these extra charges," said Case.
County Treasurer Larry Palarchio said there is still some uncertainty as to how the 25 per cent US imposed tariffs will impact the 2025 budget.
"We will continue to monitor the budget throughout the 2025 process," said Palarchio. "If there are significant fluctuations on either capital budget programs, by all means we'll be bringing those forward before we proceed."
Sarnia City/County Councillor Bill Dennis said he could not support that high of an increase and presented a motion to reduce the levy by $956,000 from 5.3 per cent to 4.3 per cent. The motion failed.
"Try explaining a 5.5 per cent increase to your constituents," said Dennis. "That, that's going to be the fun part the next couple weeks or months or whatever, when you bump into them at the grocery store or the coffee shop. Try explaining that to them."
City/County Councillor Brian White said with such uncertainty hanging over us, he couldn't agree to cutting reserves potentially impacting much needed projects.
"I can't justify moving any of these projects back any further," said White. "And if we start cutting now, we're going to be borrowing in the future and it's going to cost us more in the long-term."
The budget also includes $2.6 million for a planned roundabout at London Line and Forest Road, and $1.8 million towards the replacement of Pulse Creek Bridge.
Lambton County Council also approved a $900,000 loan to be paid in four installments to the County of Lambton Community Development Corporation (CLCDC) to assist in its recovery efforts of the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park.
In Sarnia, the city said the final blended rate for taxpayers including county and education taxes works out to just over 4.2 per cent.
That represents an increase of around $68.49 per $100,000 of residential assessment.