BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

The owners of an average single-family home in St. Lazare will see their property taxes increase by 1.8 per cent next year, according to the town’s $46.2-million budget adopted last week.

With a new three-year property valuation roll taking effect for the 2025 taxation year, the average single-family home in the municipality saw a whopping 50-per-cent increase in value. This means the average house in the town is now valued at $702,694, up from $467,600.

This huge hike has forced the town to lower its taxation rate. The owners of this property will see a tax bill of $3,738 in 2025, which represents an increase of $65 compared with 2024. This year, the taxes on that same home jumped $156, or 4.45 per cent and the previous year there was a $141 hike, or a 4.19-per-cent increase, bringing the overall increases in taxes on that property since the end of 2022 to $362, or 15 per cent.

The residential property tax rate for 2025 has been set at $0.4246 per $100 of valuation, down from the 2024 rate of $0.6262.

Included in the calculation of each tax bill is a $280 annual water tax, up from $275 this year; a $185 garbage tax, up from $180 this year; a $165 sewer treatment charge, which is the same since 2023; and a $50 potable water treatment plant fee, which is also the same as this year.

The property tax increase in 2025 averages out to about $5.40 per month for the average single-family home.

There are other itemized charges that are assessed based on specific tax rates per $100 of valuation, meaning those properties with higher valuations will pay more, while owners of lesser valued properties will pay less. For the average valued home of $702,694, they include a $25.30 charge for the construction of municipal buildings, which is down 42 cents from last year; a $14 fee for the construction of the new fire hall, which is the same as this year; a $13 fee for the extension of the bicycle path network, again, about the same as this year; a $10.54 charge for the reconstruction of Ste. Elizabeth Street; a $7 charge for the expansion of the La Pinière nature park and a $4.92 contribution to the building of the synthetic playing field next to Westwood High School’s junior campus.

Spending is up

Overall, the city will be spending about $3.1 million more next year compared with 2024. Among the biggest increases are services the municipality has no direct control over. Among those charges is the town’s share of the cost for the Sûreté du Québec, which is up 10.34 per cent in 2025, which represents a total of $5.34 million, marking the first time policing costs have topped the $5-million mark for the municipality. The contribution to the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges jumps 6.38 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024.

Other increases assessed to the town are charges from the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, which will jump 5.54 per cent next year compared with this year; and fees for the regional transit authority, or Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, which will increases by 6.94 per cent from 2024.

These charges represent about 20 per cent of St. Lazare’s overall spending, or about $9.2 million. The biggest slice of the town’s budget – 36 per cent, or about $16.6 million – goes to salaries.

3-year capital program

The city also adopted its three-year capital expenditure program on Dec. 11. It includes $50.6 million in projects in 2025, $14.27 million in spending in 2026 and $20.9 million in plans for 2027, for a total of $85.785 million.

Among the projects planned for 2025 are about $19.6 million to improve and extend potable water services; $23.5 million in recreational upgrades, including establishing a new youth centre. Another $7 million will be spent on road improvements.

Part of this spending in 2025 will be financed by about $15 million in provincial government grants, the town’s treasurer said.