Sarnia council to review proposed fee increases in 2025 budget

Sarnia’s proposed 2025 budget includes a series of operational fee adjustments aimed at recovering the costs of municipal services and administration. These changes, along with a general 3.07% increase to most fees for service in line with the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) from May 2023 to April 2024, will be discussed during Tuesday’s council […]

Sarnia’s proposed 2025 budget includes a series of operational fee adjustments aimed at recovering the costs of municipal services and administration. These changes, along with a general 3.07% increase to most fees for service in line with the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) from May 2023 to April 2024, will be discussed during Tuesday’s council meeting as part of the broader budget deliberations.

Among the proposed adjustments are several operations fees tied to environmental and administrative services:

• Sewer discharge permit administration fees will see a 7% increase to reflect actual staff costs associated with processing these permits.
• A Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) overstrength discharge fee will be introduced to recover costs for sewer system discharges that exceed standard limits.
• Hauled sludge fees are set to increase by 9%, reflecting the rising cost of service and administrative requirements.
• A new inspection fee for waste complaints considered an infraction is proposed at $61.50 to recoup staff costs associated with investigations.
• A non-compliance collection fee, also proposed at $61.50, will be introduced to recover administrative costs linked to cases where rules are not followed.

These proposed changes will be reviewed during Tuesday’s budget deliberations, where Council will assess their potential impact on residents and businesses.

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