CFO Lindsay Barron said “we moved the needle” upon summarizing the second of three budget deliberation days for Midland.
While looking to make the 2025 tax year palatable for residents, a council aim for a 4% blended rate was in the target scope. However, numerous costs and some unexpected calculations caused confusion – and even a moment of conflict – during the full day of items.
Mayor Bill Gordon took a pause at the day’s start to truly commend staff for whittling town operation service levels to a potential 2.1% increase, despite OPP billing costs and other variables raising the town increase to 6.43% before discussions even started.
Senior management's motto for the budget was ‘one team, one dream’, which was repeated throughout the day as every department sought the minimal needed items to better the town without impacting service levels or quality.
Tax supported operating summaries continued from the previous day, with Coun. Bill Meridis remaining a watchdog for the taxpayers, reiterating his intent to keep tax rates as low as possible.
Throughout the term, Meridis had challenged Barron on several occasions to explain why saved money couldn’t be put toward lowering taxes for citizens, with attempts to summarize occurring throughout the years. Even during the second day of the 2025 budget talks, it was noted that Midland had gone through 5 CFO (chief financial officers) within the past 10 years.
Nearing the end of the long day, service level change requests to hire positions caused Meridis, Jamie-Lee Ball, and Catherine MacDonald to take issue with the way the positions were being presented in the budget.
Coun. Jaz Patel would later state it was a spreadsheet option to not cause excess work, but during the discussion council members had harsh words for staff, beginning with “confusing” but escalating to “misleading” (Meridis) and “deceitful” (MacDonald).
Instantly chided by Gordon for “implied distrust” and the ramifications of the “confrontational tone” of the words, Meridis, MacDonald and Ball equally retracted with genuine apologies and praise for staff on the budget, while still maintaining that areas could be clarified. The discussion held merit as Barron acknowledged the confusing areas and aimed to clear them up for the 2026 budget.
However, a recorded vote was asked of the four requested staff positions with council hiring three: a financial support staff, a cybersecurity staff, and a planning staff member.
At the end of day two, the municipality faced a 6.03% tax rate increase, translated to a 5.03% blended tax rate increase once calculations had been amended.
Scheduled for the final day are agencies, boards and commissions (ABC’s) as well as council and committee requests, with Gordon noting that draws from a tax stabilization reserve fund could be utilized “as a final option” if needed.
Detailed information, timelines and reports on the 2025 budget can be found on the budget and finance page of the Town of Midland’s website.