Howick Township 2027 Municipal Budget Survey

PLEASE READ THIS PAGE BEFORE BEGINNING 2027 BUDGET SURVEY

Howick Township wants to know what matters to residents. This survey is your opportunity to have a say on which services should be a priority in 2027 and beyond.

Answers and comments from this survey let us know how well municipal services are understood, how they are valued, and which ones are a priority for residents. This survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. A summary of feedback will be shared with Howick Council, but you won't be asked for any personal or identifying information. It closes on August 31, 2026.

Understanding your municipal property tax bill

Municipal property tax bills are made up of three parts:

• the amount paid to a property owner's local area municipality;
• the amount paid to Huron County; and
• the amount paid for education as set by the Government of Ontario.

The Township of Howick utilizes 55% of your property taxes, with Huron County receiving 34% and 11% allocated to School Boards for education.

Not all municipal services are fully funded through taxes. Services like recreation, burn permits, dog licences, etc. are funded through user fees paid by the people who use or benefit from these services. Some municipal services are also fully or partially funded through payments from the provincial or federal government.  

The level of funding needed to deliver Howick Township services are set by council through the annual budget process. This financial plan sets our guidelines and direction for:

• resource allocation (i.e. level of staffing or equipment dedicated to a program or service);
• service delivery levels (i.e. wait times); and
• infrstructure maintenance and renewal (i.e. state of roads, bridges, facilities, etc.).

Note: Each 1% increase or decrease in the Township's property tax levy results in approximately $47,000 (2026 rate) more or less in funding available for municipal services, programs and infrastructure. 

How property taxes are calculated

Municipalities set their annual tax rates by considering:

• the funding requirements approved as part of the budget; and
• value of the tax base (how costs are shared across taxpayers).

In this survey, you will be given the average tax cost of individual municipal services, and based on those costs, asked if the service should be improved, maintained or reduced. 

These estimates are based on what MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) determines the assessed value of an average residential property in Howick Township to be. This number is different from the market value of a home, but the amounts used in this survey can be considered typical for most households. 

Howick's Municipal Services

General Government & Administration

General government includes things like Council expenses, accessibility, council boards and committees, communications, economic development, lottery and marriage licences, death registrations, burial permits, etc. The Township of Howick's Council is made up of 1 Reeve, 1 Deputy Reeve, and 3 Councillors, making up a total of 5 members.

Planning and Development reviews legislation and provides guidance on land-use planning applications, including consents, rezoning and minor variances. They also assist with development applications, providing consultation and guidance for Site Plans, Development Agreements or Plans of Subdivision.

Financial Services

Financial Services is responsible for the annual Municipal Budget, Financial Reporting, Annual Audit, Grant Funding, Employee Payroll & Benefits, IT, etc.

Policing

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) provides policing services to Howick Township. The OPP responded to approximately 342 calls for service in 2024.

Protective and Development Services (Building, By-law,  & Fire Department)

Building reviews, issures and inspects all things building and planning permits and applications to ensure that at the end of building projects, everything has been buillt to comply with the Ontario Building Code. There were 111 Building Permits issued in 2025.

By-law Enforcement reviews complaints, completes inspections, issues orders or fines, and maintains compliances with local municipal by-laws.

The Howick Fire Department has one station located in Gorrie, with approximately 24 volunteer firefighters. The Howick Fire Department works with the community to provide Public Education, Fire Prevention (including fire inspections) and Emergency Response.

Public Works

Public Works covers a wide variety of services provided from the Township to residents. Some of these services include roads, bridges, storm water management, drainage, seasonal maintenance, waste management and the Howick Landfill. The Township of Howick is responsible for nearly 240kms of roads and 39 bridges or large culverts.

Recreation & Facilities

Recreation and Facilities includes things like parks, recreational programming, recreation facilities, trails and rentals. It also is responsible for grass cutting, ball diamond maintenance and Howick's Community Improvement & Beautification Plan. The Howick Community Centre falls under the responsibility of the Recreation & Facilities department. It alone includes an auditorium, arena, satelite Huron County Library location, a playground, Before and After School Program and soccer fields.