High level analysis of County budgets of the past 5 years shows me that there is some inequity across the County in where expenditures are incurred and from where property taxes are collected. In principle, all residents have equal access to services funded by property taxes (e.g. garbage collection, OPP, Paramedic services, road maintenance, parks and rec) but economies of scale that are available in urban communities are not always available in rural communities. Our rural communities are wide spread, cover an area of 820 sq km whereas our urban communities are compact and cover only about 20 sq km. This leads to rural communities requiring disproportionately more expenditure relative to property taxes collected from those communities to provide the same services.

2026 property taxes will come approximately 54% from urban areas and 46% from rural, and looking forward that split will grow towards 60:40 by 2051 (the end date of our current Official Plan), primarily because of further residential and employment growth in Paris and St George and extensive future industrial development in the 403 corridor in the Paris settlement area (see graphs below).

In the next 10 years we are forecasting to spend more than $800 mln in capital projects. Excluding the nearly $ 250 mln that will be spent on the St George Wastewater treatment facility and the Expansion of the Paris Waste Water Treatment Facilty as these will be primarily funded by Development Charges, grants and via the rate based structure (and not through the property tax levy) that will  leave $550 mln. The biggest share of that $550 mln is for roads, bridges and culverts at almost $280 mln and Parks and Rec at $ 135 mln. The balance covers emergency services, library, and other smaller calls on spending.

A lot of capital expenditure is in Paris as it grows but much of the infrastructure capital expenditure is funded through DCs (Development Charges – levied on new residential and industrial projects) or grants from higher levels of Government and not through property taxes. Once the expanded wastewater treatment plant is underway St George will similarly see a lot of DC funded infrastructure investment. The balance of the County, essentially the rural area, will not see significant residential or industrial development because growth is mandated by the Province to be primarily focused on settlement areas that are or will be municipally serviced (Paris/St George/Cainsville).

As a consequence rural areas receive a disproportionally larger share of operating expenditures funded by property taxes – e.g. 80% of the County road system (and related maintenance costs) is in rural areas and garbage collection costs for rural areas are estimated at 2x the costs for collection in urban areas. And, excluding the water/wastewater capital expenditure, 2/3 of the largest capital budget line (roads, bridges, culverts) is spent in rural areas. 

So conversations that often go too quickly to “Paris gets everything” need to be more nuanced – the facts do not support that conclusion. The inequality (of where expenditures are incurred and from where  property taxes are collected) is, I conclude, in favour of rural communities. Despite that I believe it is not an unreasonable price to pay to ensure the continuing vitality, function, connectivity, unity and character of our entire County.