What Does “Lowest Relative Property Taxes” Really Mean?

You may have heard that East Gwillimbury has the lowest relative property taxes in the region. But what does “relative” actually mean?

It’s pretty simple: like is compared with like.

Take a typical home in East Gwillimbury and compare its property taxes with a similar home in another municipality. The East Gwillimbury homeowner pays less.

That’s what “relative” means. It’s not about comparing tax rates or percentages. It’s about comparing the actual property tax bill for similar homes.

And that distinction matters.

We don’t pay our taxes in percentages. We pay them in dollars. So when we talk about affordability, we need to look at the whole bill and make meaningful comparisons.

But keeping taxes relatively low doesn’t happen by accident. It takes careful budgeting and some difficult decisions about how we spend every taxpayer dollar.

Nobody likes paying taxes. I certainly don’t.

That’s why, throughout my eight years on Council, I’ve consistently pushed for ways to reduce spending and find savings while protecting the services residents rely on.

Every year during the budget process, I’ve brought forward cuts and questioned spending. I believe Council has a responsibility to look closely at every dollar.

At the same time, keeping taxes low can’t mean ignoring the services and infrastructure our community needs. We have to find that balance.

For me, responsible budgeting means sitting down, going through the numbers, questioning spending and making the tough decisions - year after year. There’s a difference between saying you support responsible budgeting during an election campaign and actually doing the work.

I’ve been doing that work for eight years, and I believe taxpayers deserve that kind of experience and accountability.

Source: BMA Management Consulting Inc., 2025 Municipal Study, “Comparison of Relative Taxes.” The study compares “like” properties across municipalities and property types.