By Pepper Parr
August 22nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Preparation for the 2025 budget is underway.
Residents and business owners are invited to provide their input. The City’s public engagement opportunities include pre-budget consultation sessions hosted by Mayor Meed Ward, an online survey, a telephone town hall, Council and Committee of the Whole meetings, a Get Involved Burlington webpage, and the Food for Feedback event on Sept 14, 2024.
Each year, the City of Burlington reviews the annual budget to make sure the City has the funds needed for city operations, programs and services. These investments maintain a high quality of life for Burlington residents and businesses.
The four main principles to help balance today’s expenses while investing in our future are:
-
The document that set out the strategy the city has in place. Several significant changes make the document less than relevant: Climate Change Flooding and the commitment to adding 29,000 housing units by 20231
Affordability
- Livability
- Sustainability
- Transparency
There will be a Food for Feedback on September 14th. Residents and business owners are also invited to share their input at the in-person Food for Feedback event on Sept. 14, 2024.
Mayor Meed Ward will be holding consultations to give feedback on the budget in person. All are welcome.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward: has a lot to think about.
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Port Nelson United Church, 3132 South Dr.
Monday, Sept. 23, 7 to 8:30 p.m., La Salle Park Pavilion, 50 North Shore Blvd. E.
Tuesday, Sept. 24, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Haber Recreation Centre, 3040 Tim Dobbie Dr., Room 1
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Central Arena, 519 Drury Ln., Auditorium
Thursday, Oct. 3, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Appleby Ice Centre, 1201 Appleby Line, Community Room 1
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Brant Hills Community Centre, 2255 Brant St., Community Room 1
Residents and business owners can share their feedback through the 2025 Budget Survey. This feedback will help the City to understand how they prioritize and value City services. The survey is open until Oct. 9, 2024.
Key dates:
June 10 – Committee of the Whole meeting
Staff presented the 2025 Financial Needs and Multi-Year Forecast Reference Document to Committee of the Whole. The Mayor will refer to this document as she develops her budget.
The Gazette will publish as much as we can of that Multi-Year Forecast before the weekend and make reference to it frequently.
That document however will not have had any content related to the July floods. It became clear during the July Council meetings that more money is going to be needed. That money will come out of your pocket – assuming the city has learned that the reserve funds are not there to be raided.
Chief Administrative Officer Hassaan Basit
Residents learn sometime in October just what Chief Administrative Officer Hassaan Basit thinks will be needed, which puts a question mark beside that September meeting. Will enough be known by that date?
Keep in mind that the budget that will be debated is the Mayor’s budget – there will be all kinds of information from the Finance department – which will be delivered in a much different format – they promised that the 700+ page budget document is a thing of the past.
No word yet on who the head honcho at Finance is going to be. That job is being shared by several people.
Sept. 13 – Draft 2025 Budget
City provides summary of the draft 2025 budget for public consultation and input.
Oct. 25 – Mayor’s Proposed Budget Report posted
Nov. 4 – Burlington City Council Meeting
The Mayor, under the Strong Mayors legislation, will present the 2025 proposed budget to Burlington City Council. Council members can bring amendments to the budget for a council vote. The public will be given time to review and provide input on the proposed budget.
Nov. 7 – Budget Telephone Town Hall
Residents can join the call starting at 7 p.m. to ask questions about the 2025 proposed budget. The telephone town will be hosted by Mayor Meed Ward and run until 8:30 p.m.
Visit www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/2025-budget for more detail.
Nov. 18 and 21 – Budget Committee Meetings
Nov. 25 – Special Council Meeting for budget approval.
Mayor Meed Ward said: “It’s vital to hear from residents as we prepare the 2025 budget. The annual budget reflects our priorities as a community. Your views help shape how council will amend and ultimately vote. As I prepare the budget for consideration by the public and council, my plan is to focus on four key areas: Affordability, Livability, Sustainability and Transparency. I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities to share your input.”
There are many that would disagree strongly with that statement
Eric Stern
Eric Stern said in a Gazette comment: “I certainly felt heard. I delegated about how misleading the Mayor’s 4.99% tax impact statements were at about 2:00pm and less than 3 hours later the Mayor’s communication team posted on X about her 4.99% tax impact. I may as well have stayed home and talked to my wife. A good reminder that we have one opportunity to be heard and that’s on October 26th, 2026.
The evidence he put forward on how the city was presenting information was classic citizen involvement.
Stephen White
Stephen White was just as blunt: “Burlington has an operating budget of over $350 million, and something like 1,500 employees. Burlington isn’t a “mom and pop” operation, and it sure isn’t Dog River, Saskatchewan from “Corner Gas”. We need Councillors with the skills and experience who understand managerial basics. A big part of that is setting clear goals and objectives, and holding staff responsible for delivering same. As for the public servants, if they don’t get clear direction they’ll just keep doing what they’ve always done.
Links and Resources
· Visit burlington.ca/budget for information about the 2025 budget
· To take the 2025 Budget Survey, getinvolvedburlington.ca/2025-budget.
- Attend Food for Feedback
This paragraph is from the survey
“As we plan this year’s budget, we’re facing inflation, much like our residents and local businesses. Our 2025 forecast predicts a total tax increase of 5.5%, with 1% for Halton Region services, 4.5% for Burlington services, and no change for education. The city’s tax increase is expected to slow down in the coming years as we reach a more sustainable financial position.”
The city is using this statement to pretend an 8.9%, Burlington-only, property tax increase is somehow 4.5%. When you put half the bill up by 8.9%, half of our tax bill goes to Burlington, the impact of this on the total bill is the 4.5% the city wants us to think is their increase. The Halton increase will be in the 3% range but Halton is only 1/3 of our tax bill so using the same convoluted logic the city is saying that is a 1% increase.
Sadly, the city continues to use Burlington Speak (BS for short) when communicating with us.