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PAGE PAGE 8, 2026 Thursday, January The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette WELLESLEY BUDGET APPROVED BRAVES PLAYER ACQUISITIONS
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The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette Serving New Hamburg, Tavistock, Baden, Wellesley, New Dundee, St. Agatha, Shakespeare, Petersburg, Hickson, Punkeydoodle’s Corner and area
175 Waterloo St., New Hamburg | (519) 662-2731 www.wilmotwellesleyrc.ca
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026
Region of Waterloo passes 2026 budget Wilmot mayor inching closer to releasing first strong mayor budget LEE GRIFFI Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
(PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SHOW US YOUR WILMOT FACEBOOK PAGE)
After days of harsh winter conditions pummeling the area, blue skies finally return over Wilmot’s landscape on New Year’s Day. Photo shared by Heidi Lowrick on the SUYW Facebook page.
Winter storms wreak havoc on Oxford and Wilmot roads
LEE GRIFFI
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A mixed bag of severe winter weather hit Oxford County and Wilmot Township over the last few weeks, creating hazardous driving conditions and keeping public
work crews busy clearing snow and applying salt and sand to area roadways. Oxford County declared a significant weather event for county roads at 4 p.m. on Dec. 29, citing high winds that caused drifting snow in rural areas and prevented
snow plows from meeting provincial maintenance standards. “It means we aren’t able to keep up with the snow accumulation and meet those minimum standards. It doesn’t necessarily mean the plows will come off the Continued on page 2
“Region of Waterloo budget delivers affordability and service investments.” That’s how a press release from the region described the recently passed 2026 budget, which represents a 5.1 per-cent tax increase for total regional services. This translates into a $129 increase for the average household in Wilmot before the township completes its budget in the near future. “I remain critical of a lot of the items that did get passed, but this certainly is the lowest increase the region has passed in my term on council,” said Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen, who has a seat at the region table. The region saw a tax hike of just under seven per cent in 2024, a number that jumped to 9.5 per cent last year. Salonen said, on the positive side, budget requests by departments were generally around the level of inflation. On the other hand, she did not support the Waterloo Regional Police Services plan to build a new $174 million communications centre, an expense that was ultimately passed by a single vote. “It’s not that I don’t understand and appreciate the need for it, but it is taking a step back in a bigger scope at everything that’s happening across the region. We only have one Continued on page 3