2022 Operating Budget highlights

December 21, 2021

Newmarket – The Regional Municipality of York 2022 operating budget includes projected spending of $2.7 billion. This includes the Council-approved 1% Rapid Transit Infrastructure Levy to support the Yonge North Subway Extension.

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic-related fiscal challenges over the past year, York Region continues to support the day-to-day operations of the Region’s core programs and services, supporting more than 1.2 million residents across nine cities and towns.

The operating budget is the largest component of the approved $3.7 billion Regional budget and includes York Region’s reserve contributions.

The budget supports York Region’s four key priority areas of the 2019 to 2023 Strategic Plan: From Vision to Results and aligns financial resources to the priorities for this Council term.

Highlights of the 2022 Operating Budget (gross expenditures):

Transportation Services and York Region Rapid Transit Corporation: $554.7 million (combined)

  • Operate a safe and efficient road network and transit system
  • Maintain more than 4,300 lane-kilometres of urban and rural roads
  • Provide efficient transit through conventional bus routes, Viva bus service on dedicated rapidways and Mobility On-Request service
  • Align transit services with the needs of travellers to optimize operating costs
  • Advance the next stage of development for 75 kilometres of bus rapid transit rapidways by 2051

Environmental Services: $651.2 million

  • Deliver 120 billion litres of clean and safe drinking water annually to protect public health
  • Maintain the current waste diversion rate at 93% and working with stakeholders to ensure smooth transition to full producer responsibility
  • Lead corporate climate change action through mitigation, adaptation and application of York Region’s Energy Conservation Demand Management Plan
  • Plant 70,000 trees and shrubs in 2022 to prevent and reduce the impacts of climate change and to maintain and enhance green spaces

Community and Health Services: $761.5 million

  • Continue to support ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery efforts including vaccinations and outbreak management
  • Add 14 new paramedic staff to ensure the Region continues to meet response time targets
  • Maintain safe operations and ensuring compliance with public health and provincial direction at the Region’s two long-term care homes, including supply of personal protective equipment, increased cleaning, active screening and testing and technological supports to protect residents and workers
  • Manage more than 6,700 community housing units through Housing York Inc. and in partnership with non-profit and co-operative housing units
  • Advance York Region’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusive efforts, including the York Region Inclusion Charter, co-chaired with York Regional Police

York Regional Police: $414.6 million

  • Hire 15 sworn officers and 12 civilian staff to ensure effective community response and maintain services
  • Focus on frontline modernization to improve efficiency while maintaining services
  • Continue to respond to complex investigations targeting organized and serious crimes
  • Operationalize the new District 1 Headquarters and provide key supports for frontline officers, including through the 911 communications centre

Yonge North Subway Extension

  • Support York Region’s top transit priority, the Yonge North Subway Extension
  • Establish a Rapid Transit Infrastructure Levy of 1% through the 2022 Operating Budget to help provide funding for the Region’s $1.12 billion share of the $5.6 billion Yonge North Subway Extension
  • 1% levy will be added to the base budget, generating $12 million in the first year
  • Levies will be reviewed through the annual budget process

Additional Operating Budget initiatives:

  • Ensure resources are in place to support remote hearings providing timely access to York Region’s Provincial Offences Courts
  • Provide funding to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority to support initiatives to protect lakes, rivers and lands within their watersheds
  • Ensure reserve contributions keep pace with the Region’s growing asset base and ensure financial sustainability through careful debt and reserve management

How the 2022 tax dollar is spent:

graphic illustrating how the canadian tax dollar is spent on regional services

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local municipalities and provides a variety of programs and services to 1.2 million residents and 54,000 businesses with 650,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/regionalservices

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Media Contact:

Barbara Schnier, Corporate Communications, The Regional Municipality of York
1-877-464-9675, ext. 71237
905-505-5775
@email