Newmarket council approved the $174.4 million budget Dec. 13, including $32.8 million for capital projects in 2022.
Approved spending is a “balance between keeping taxes low while maintaining service levels, investing in our assets, and preparing for the future,” said Mayor John Taylor. “I believe that we have established a responsible and balanced budget that will continue to make Newmarket ‘even better’.”
Staff identified about $667,000 in savings through efficiencies and reductions to continue to keep tax rates low and an extensive community engagement process uncovered multiple opportunities to get involved in budget-related meetings, participation in a town-wide survey, and an interactive 2022 Budget Facebook Live event,
Results confirmed that the public wanted the town to maintain service levels, provide continued funding for parks, trails and green spaces and support for local businesses, job creation and economic development.
As a result, the budget includes:
- Increasing funding for parks, trails and green spaces to support Council’s Strategic Priority to create extraordinary places and spaces.
- Finalizing all detailed engineering work related to the Mulock Park.
- Advancing the Newmarket Outdoor Arena to be located at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex.
- Completing the final design on the Mulock multi-use path which will run from Bathurst Street to Harry Walker Parkway (approx. six kilometres) along Mulock Drive.
- Completing Newmarket’s first outdoor skate park at the Magna Centre.
