Burlington sets priorities for 2025 provincial candidates

By Staff

February 24th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

This is the first time the Gazette has seen anything like this from City Hall

“The City of Burlington is advocating for a meaningful and robust partnership with all provincial parties to ensure our community’s goals are supported in 2025 and beyond.

“Strong, multi-level government relationships will preserve our great quality of life for everyone in Burlington.

“The City is focused on priorities that ensure affordability, livability, sustainability and transparency for our residents.

“For the City of Burlington, that means working together with the Provincial government to realize our strategic plan vision of enabling complete communities. Our efforts will be guided by Burlington’s Plan From Vision to Focus 2022-2026, which will focus on achieving the following objectives to address our changing city:

• Focus area 1: Designing and delivering complete communities
• Focus area 2: Providing the best services and experiences
• Focus area 3: Protecting and improving the natural environment and taking action on climate change
• Focus area 4: Driving organizational performance

Six Policy Priorities for the Provincial Government 

If changes are going to be made – they will be made in this building – the provincial legislature. Later this week the public will decide which political party is going to lead the province.

With this in mind, combined with community feedback, Burlington is focused on six policy priorities that, through collaboration with the Government of Ontario over the next four years, will help us make a difference. These non-partisan priorities have been decades in the making and appeal to all political parties to respond to the needs of Burlington and our residents. The priorities, not listed in order, include:

1. Resetting the provincial-municipal fiscal framework. 

Property taxes were not built to fund systemic social change, and municipal revenue does not grow with the economy or population growth. The City joins the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and Ontario’s Big City Mayors’ (OBCM) in calling on the Province of Ontario to review this funding framework and to curb reliance on municipal property taxes to fund provincial responsibilities – i.e., housing-enabling infrastructure.

2. Advancing affordable housing solutions. 

Continuity of the Housing Accelerator Fund and additional provincial support remain critical for Burlington to increase affordable housing supply. Of equal importance is the abolition of the Ontario Land Tribunal, which has outlived its usefulness, adds costs and delays, and places limits on our ability to control development at the local level. We need more housing and faster processes.

3. Addressing the interconnected crises of homelessness, addictions, and mental health. 

Like many other municipalities, we do not have the resources and expertise to take homelessness on alone. A recent report by AMO points to the need for a long-term investment of $11 billion over 10 years to truly resolve this complex issue. We all succeed when our most vulnerable are cared for.

4. Protecting the natural environment and taking action on climate change 

Burlington is uniquely half rural, so protecting farmland and our rural boundary, stopping the expansion of the Mount Nemo quarry, and ensuring our development horizon through flood reduction efforts will help to establish sustainable, healthy and low-carbon climate resilient communities. Continued provincial support will be critical in helping the City achieve these goals, including issuing a Ministerial Zoning Order to protect the vital greenspace at Millcroft golf course.

5. Supporting industry and protecting jobs, businesses, and the economy 

In response to pending U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, City Council has passed a ‘Buy Canadian’ resolution calling on the federal and provincial governments to work with municipalities on measures to protect Canadian consumers and businesses. Protecting local business is protecting our way of life.

6. Municipal Codes of Conduct 

“The City of Burlington supports the principles outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code regarding freedom from harassment. Elected officials should not be above the Human Resources standards that exist in every other working environment, and the City is pleased that the provincial government introduced legislation on municipal codes of conduct that will create higher levels of accountability – and consequences – for the behaviour of elected councillors.

“The City of Burlington looks forward to working alongside the next provincial government, and with our Members of Provincial Parliament at Queen’s Park, to make a real difference in our community and for our future.

Mayor Meed Ward said: “Municipalities like Burlington are carrying the weight of pressing challenges, from housing affordability to the interconnected crises of homelessness, addictions, and mental health—issues that demand solutions far beyond the municipal capacity. While we are closest to the people, the provincial government holds the power and the resources to make a real difference. We need a new deal—a true partnership with the Province—so we can work together to address these decades-old priorities. This is a non-partisan appeal for all parties to help us build a future where our residents can thrive in affordable, sustainable, and vibrant communities.”