Heather Wright/The Independent

Warwick Township is still the lowest-taxed municipality in Lambton.

That from figures provided by Treasurer Trevor Jarrett recently as he presented the draft 2025 budget.

The municipality is expected to spend close to $12 million on capital projects, operating expenses and paying down its debt, particularly on the new East Lambton Community Complex in 2025.

Jarrett says a house in Warwick Township valued at $300,000 will pay about $1,488 in municipal taxes. That’s less than the $1,503 every Lambton taxpayer shells out for county services each year.

It’s also about half of what nearby Oil Springs residents pay. The village with fewer than 700 people requires about $3,060 from each homeowner, about $10 more in municipal taxes than the same house in Sarnia.

Petrolia is not far behind. That $300,000 in the Hard Oil town would lead to a $2,988 tax bill.

Councillor Jerry Westgate asked how Warwick compares with neighbouring Middlesex County municipalities for taxes. While Jarrett didn’t have those numbers, he said he has been told Warwick’s municipal tax rate is about the same as the City of Toronto’s.

“They do it through a lot of population, rather than taxes and anything like that. It’s density that works in their favor,” he told council.

“I’ve been told unofficially by people who have a wider spectrum of viewing than I do, they can’t believe we deliver as much with so little in tax.”

Warwick, unlike most municipalities, receives a community benefit payment from Waste Management for hosting the Twin Creeks Landfill. Jarrett’s figures show that brings in $1,083 per resident a year – about $200 more than each resident would pay in municipal taxes.

The cash from WM is mainly used for capital projects.

The treasurer is proposing a five per cent municipal tax increase in 2025. But even if the township agrees, taxpayers will still enjoy the lowest tax rate in the county, Jarrett says.