← All issues
Our Money
Taxes, Spending, Development Charges & Value
What do I pay, who controls which part of my bill, and what does my tax dollar actually buy? During an election this matters enormously — and almost nobody is shown the full picture.
Taxes
Spending
Development Charges
Value
Why this matters now
- The 2026 budget included a 1.96% overall property-tax increase, plus a new stormwater fee.
- Your property tax bill is split between the Town, Halton Region and the education portion set by the Province.
- Development charges decide whether growth pays for growth — or whether existing residents do.
Who has the power?
Four levels, four different jobs
Town of Oakville
Town tax levy, development charges, user fees, stormwater fee, capital and operating budgets.
Halton Region
Regional tax levy, water and wastewater rates, regional development charges.
Province of Ontario
Education portion of property tax, assessment rules (MPAC), development charge legislation.
Government of Canada
Transfers and infrastructure grants that offset local capital costs.
Questions residents are asking
- What share of my bill is Town, Region and Province?
- What did the new stormwater fee change, and what does it fund?
- Are development charges covering the cost of growth?
- What am I getting for each additional percentage point?
What are residents saying?
"My bill went up and a service went down. Both were true in the same year."
"I'd pay more if someone could show me exactly what it buys."
These are composites of what residents tell us. Send us yours and it may appear here — anonymously by default.