 By Staff
April 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
From the Burlington library:
This year, we asked for a design inspired by your favourite book, and the entries we received were as creative and diverse as the books on our shelves. It was challenging to narrow the entries down to just four for each age category for voting, but we hope you agree that the winning designs showcase the imagination and talent of our Burlington community.
Our youngest winner, Lea, recently checked out the books Earth by Marion Bauer and Planet Name Game by Tish Rabe, instigating “many, many, many questions about space” (according to her family!) and her awesome space-themed bookmark. Alex was inspired by the popular book, Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt. Alex’s favourite subject is art, and this is his first time winning a competition. We don’t think it will be the last!
The book, Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter inspired Adrianna to create her beautiful wintery scene. Tazi honoured one of her favourite books of all time, If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang. And finally, Diana’s surreal fish creation was inspired by How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Congratulations to our five winners, and a big thank you to everyone who submitted a design and voted. These awesome bookmarks are now available to pick up at your local branch. Tuck them into your next great read!
 By Pepper Parr
April 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We received the following from the City Communications people earlier today:
“With respect to recent changes in City of Burlington leadership roles, at no time have I spoken directly to the Burlington Gazette or any other publication asserting or implying that strong mayor powers have been used for this purpose. They have not.”
The Gazette never said that we spoke to Tim Commisso on this matter.
Here is what we published, the words were sent to us by the Communications people
“Responding on behalf of Tim Commisso, City Manager – Further to your requests to Council members and Corporate Communications, I can confirm Brynn Nheiley and Sheila Jones are no longer working for the City.
“As you know, it’s our policy not to comment on personnel matters, but I would like to note that the City is grateful to Brynn and Sheila for their many important contributions over the years and we wish them the very best in their future endeavours.”
Commisso appears to be concerned with what we published in the following article – Link is HERE
Commisso seems to be saying that the removal of two senior staff members was not the result of the Mayor using her Strong Mayor powers. If the Mayor didn’t fire the two women then the City Manager did.
The only thing we do know is that two of the Executive Director level people are no longer with the city. Sooner or later the full story will come out – it always does.
What a heck of a way for Tim Commisso to end a career.
 By Pepper Parr
April 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
This is how a municipal budget gets put together when the Mayor uses the Strong Mayor Powers.
Council is being asked to:
Receive and file finance department report providing an update to the format of the 2025 budget documents and the preliminary 2025 Mayors budget approval timelines; and Direct the City Clerk to schedule a Special Council meeting on November 25, 2024 for the purpose of reviewing the Mayor’s proposed budget.
Section 284.16 of the Municipal Act, 2001 S.O. 2001, c. 25 outlines a statutory process for the approval of municipal budgets beginning with the presentation of the Mayor’s proposed budget, amendment of the proposed budget by City Council, veto of amendments by the Mayor and override of vetoes by City Council.
The general provisions of the Act regarding budgets are summarized below: Page 2 of Report Number: F-19-24
By February 1 of each year the Mayor must prepare and propose a budget to Council for consideration
Authority to prepare and propose the budget rests solely with Mayor
This authority cannot be delegated to Council or staff
Mayor can issue a staff direction for staff to prepare budget
Once the Mayor proposes a budget, Council has 30 (calendar) days to meet and pass budget amendments.
30-day period can be shortened by Council resolution
May require special council meeting to meet 30-day timeline
Following the amendment period, the Mayor has 10 (calendar) days to veto budget amendments passed by Council.
Mayor vetos must be set out through a Mayoral Decision and include reasons for veto.
Mayor can shorten veto period via a Mayoral Decision.
Budget amendments vetoed by Mayor are considered not to have been passed by Council
If veto power is not exercised, budget is deemed to have passed
Within 15 days of the veto period ending Council may meet to attempt to override Mayoral vetos.
Council override of Mayoral veto requires 2/3 super majority to pass.
After process of amendments, vetos and overrides has passed the budget is deemed to have been adopted.
Council no longer needs to vote on budget in its entirety.
Budget is considered to have been passively adopted once the approval process above has finished.
The following graphic outlines the key budget process steps as stipulated in the Act:
Mayoral Direction – Budget Development
As outlined earlier, under the provisions of the Act, the authority to propose a budget rests solely with the Mayor. However, a Mayoral direction can be issued for staff to undertake the work required to prepare a draft budget. In order to formalize this requirement for the 2025 budget, the Mayor will be issuing this Direction later this year.
The staff process to inform the Mayor’s Proposed Budget will include:
An extensive line by line review of the draft operating base budget submitted by each service will be conducted by the Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
An extensive review of the draft capital budget will be conducted by the Corporate Infrastructure Committee (CIC).
Staff will prepare a Financial Needs and Multi-Year Forecast report which will be presented to Committee of the Whole in June. This report will outline key budget pressures and significant drivers as well as make recommendations for additional budget investments to address key risks, increase or enhance service levels or address operational challenges.
Draft Budget timelines
Further refinement of the 2025 budget process and timelines will be undertaken prior to reporting back to June COW including the opportunity to consider alternative service delivery priorities and multi-year budget impacts.
Budget Motion Memorandums Forms
Similar to the process used in previous years, should a Member of Council wish to propose an amendment to the Mayor’s Proposed 2025 Budget, they are requested to prepare a Motion Memorandum. This memo will include the rationale for any proposed Page 4 of Report Number: F-19-24 budget amendment.
These Motion Memorandums will provide other members of Council and as well as the public, greater clarity as to why an amendment is being proposed and the rationale for the budget change request.
Motion Memorandums are due to Finance by 4:30 pm on November 11, 2024, to allow sufficient time for inclusion into the Budget Committee agenda of November 18, 2024. These Motion Memorandums will form the basis for the agenda to review the Mayor’s 2025 Proposed Budget.
Revised Budget Book Format
The 2024 budget approval process was a year of transition given that the Province of Ontario only extended Strong Mayor Powers to Burlington on July 1, 2023. As this change occurred well into the budget development process there was limited time to make significant alterations to the process.
As a result, the traditional staff proposed budget was renamed to the Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast and the budget book was aligned with those figures.
The Mayor used this document for reference purposes when preparing the Budget and outlined in a table the differences between the Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast and the Mayor’s Proposed Budget.
We heard from members of Council and the public that this reconciliation between the two items was extremely detailed and cumbersome to manage. Additionally, we heard that the overall length of the budget book at over 730+ pages was not user friendly as a review document.
As a result of this feedback two significant changes will be made for the 2025 Budget process.
When the Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast is presented at June COW, it will include a comprehensive staff report and presentation but will not include a lengthy reference document. When the Mayor’s Proposed budget is presented, it will include a detailed budget book fully aligned to those figures.
The format of the budget book will be condensed. Service Business Plans will no longer be included in the budget book but will be replaced with streamlined content focusing on current service delivery and operations, emerging opportunities and risks, key service investments and an operational financial summary of the service-based budget. Also included for each service will be headline measures which demonstrate and depict service performance. Finally, the 10-year capital investments will be included at the service level.
A sample of the revised budget book content for a single service is set out below.
Financial Matters:
The approved 2024 Budget invested $346.2M into delivering city services to the community and $88.6M into the capital program to renew aging infrastructure and invest in new community assets.
The budget process provides a venue in which decisions are aligned and made to ensure an appropriate balance between affordability, maintaining/enhancing service levels and financial sustainability is achieved over the long term.
The Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast will be prepared to recognize key budget drivers including ongoing inflationary pressures as well as investments required to stabilize service delivery. It will also make recommendations for increased funding to key areas to address the needs of our growing community.
This Financial Needs and Multi-year forecast will inform the Mayor with detailed information while providing sufficient time to prepare her 2025 Proposed Budget.
Climate Implications:
 A plaza was seriously flooded in 2014 – expectation is that there will be flooding in the years ahead due to climate change. The impacts of a changing climate can have a significant impact on the City’s budget. For example, increasing extreme weather events such as wind, freezing rain, extreme heat and cold can result in operational expenditures due to clean-up costs, more frequent emergency response and recovery efforts, and unbudgeted impacts to infrastructure requiring repairs and/or replacement.
Similarly, efforts to mitigate climate change can have a budgetary impact. Investments in renewable energy, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and public transit help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Engagement Matters:
The city will continue to use existing online engagement tools such as survey opportunities on GetInvolvedBurlington.ca.
 Will the public choose to take part in budget deliberations the way they used to – or with apathy become the norm? A Budget Townhall is also planned for November 6, 2024.
The results of all public engagement will be reported back to Council as part of the Mayor’s Proposed Budget and in advance of the budget review process.
The Open Book platform will also be used to present the budget and allow the public to view the budget data in an interactive and intuitive format.
A communications strategy will also be developed in conjunction with the presentation of the Proposed Budget.
This reported presents preliminary 2025 Budget approval timelines as well as outlines an update to the format of the budget book documents.
 By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Council met in CLOSED session this morning for two hours on a single item.
Zippo in terms of detail on what was discussed other than the following:
Confidential verbal update regarding a human resources matter.
Pursuant to Section 239(2)(b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.
Two hours for an update?
Council Sharman did not attend.
There were some pretty glum looking faces when the webcast was public.
This is what things look like when the Strong Mayor powers are used.
The public will never know what those dismissals are going to cost.
By Staff
April 3rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
When blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner.
 Kelsey Faulkner, Alanna Perkovich-Smith, Evan Delvecchio-Williams Photography by Heather Pierorazio As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds that they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron’s inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through icebreakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines.
Can this couple turn what could be a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives?
Stage Director & Choreographer: Marc Richard
Music Director: Anne Barnshaw
Stage Manager: Barb Osborne
Co-Producers: Peter Smurlick & Rick MacKenzie
SHOW DATES 2023 (14 performances)
Evenings 8 PM May 3, 4, 10, 11, 16*, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 2024
Matinees 2 PM May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2023
* Charity Thursday: Thu, May 16th, 2024
Resilient Kids Canada
(A portion of ticket sales is donated to this charity)
Cast
Evan Delvechchio -Williams – Aaron Kelsy Faulkner – Casey
Alanna Perkovich-Smith – Woman #3 (Waiter/Therapist/Casey’s Father)
Katharine Costa –Woman #2 (Allison)
Devin France –Man #3
(Reggie/Edgy Rocker Guy/Aaron’s Future Son)
Mark Rotil – Man #1
(Gabe/Edgy British Guy)
Stacey Tiller – Woman #1
By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Traditionally, City Hall has not released background information on staff changes.
Today the City announced that Samantha Yew is the new City Clerk. Her appointment began on March 25, 2024.
 Samantha Yew – City Clerk Yew has served as the Manager of Committee Services and Deputy Clerk since joining the City in 2022. In December 2023, she assumed the role of Acting City Clerk.
Ms. Yew is an accomplished public servant with more than 10 years of experience in municipal government. Prior to joining Burlington, Ms. Yew worked as the Deputy Clerk for the Town of Aurora managing the Council secretariat division.
During her tenure with the City, Ms. Yew helped lead the successful delivery of the 2022 Burlington Municipal Election and the recruitment of members to the City’s more than 10 advisory and standing committees, including the new Pipeline to Permit standing committee. As Manager of Committee Services, she oversaw the administration of all City standing and advisory committee meetings, and worked to develop a new civic recognition program launching this spring.
As City Clerk, Ms. Yew will continue to lead City Council meetings; provide professional procedural and governance advice to the Mayor and Members of Council and City staff; facilitate accessible and inclusive opportunities for members of the public to interact with Council; build awareness and understanding of municipal government through civic education; maintain City records; manage the City’s response to freedom of information requests; and ensure fair and open municipal elections.
 Mayor Meed Ward leaning to hear what the City Clerk has to say on a procedural matter. Ms. Yew holds a Bachelor of Arts from York University and a Certificate in Records and Information Management from the University of Toronto. She is also a member of the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario.
 By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The following comment posted by Blair Smith is one side of the issue brought to the surface by three members of Council and strongly supported by a fourth.
 If the petition cannot generate 1000 signatures by April 16th, then the citizens of Burlington (and Ontario) may not care enough about our fundamental freedoms and the principle of majority rule.
Our Mayor, in my view and that of many, is now (perhaps with Ms. Horwath) the poster child of what is wrong with the Strong Mayor Powers. It matters not whether these powers are benevolently applied or with Council consultation, as Mr. Sharman contends. The fact that they exist and under the sole control of a single individual is just fundamentally wrong.
The citizens of Burlington can certainly be motivated and engaged. But the issues that move them tend to be those of the wallet. The general dissatisfaction with the Mayor’s budget proves that.
Issues of democratic freedoms and principles seem to be far less compelling and have much, much less news coverage and social media presence. The very successful petition against the Mayor’s unprecedented tax increase for 2024 was, in part, the result of an existential threat to peoples’ standard of living. It was a meat and potatoes issue and had Council ‘in toto’ conducting a defensive campaign to which the petition could directly respond.
The issue of democratic freedoms is unfortunately less direct and less visceral for a largely affluent society. Pity because the long term impacts on all citizens are probably much more severe.
I applaud the four members of Council for their courage and integrity in bringing the issue of Strong Mayor powers in Burlington into the open. They have forced the Mayor to respond and to demonstrate how horribly conceived and ill placed these powers are.
| Glenda Dodd asked, in her comment: |
Maybe some people actually agree with the mayor? |
For those who want to sign the petition – click HERE
Links to related news stories:
It was not the Mayor’s finest hour
By Staff
April 2nd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
For those who have family who are dealing with Parkinson’s disease – every day is a hard day with brief bits of gratitude for the help that is available.
 The Passion for Parkinson’s Foundation will be hosting community events throughout April as part of their efforts to raise awareness and promote ways to make lives better.
On April 11, many cities across the country are joining the foundation`s second annual Light Up Canada for World Parkinson’s Day campaign. Cities will light up their buildings, bridges, towers and waterfalls in blue to acknowledge this important day. Some of the landmarks include Mississauga City Hall, Port Credit Lighthouse, the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, the Peace Bridge, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium and Vancouver’s BC Place. The Burlington Pier will be part of this.
“Since May 2021, we have grown significantly from a small grassroots organization with two outdoor exercise classes, to a booming charitable organization with eleven weekly programs,“ said Tamara Boaden, chair of the Passion for Parkinson’s Foundation.
 “Our participants really enjoy our boxing, cycle fit, indoor virtual golf, mindful movement, pickleball, and tai chi classes. Caregiver group meetings, support groups and a speaker`s series hosted by PD experts have been meaningful.
Collaborating with Rama Gaming House Mississauga and the Mississauga Charity Gaming Association this past year has also helped to raise much needed funds. The foundation is looking forward to its signature gala event on April 20 hosted by CHFI’s Michelle Butterly, celebrating our success with the Parkinson`s community, and expressing gratitude with partners, sponsors, donors and volunteers.“
Research shows that various forms of exercise or art can improve gait, balance, tremor, flex-ability, grip strength, cognition and overall motor coordination and sense of well-being. Improved mobility decreases the risks of falls and can help people with PD manage other related complications.
According to a recent Ipsos study, 73 percent of all Canadians living with Parkinson’s rate regular exercise as the service most important to them.
The Passion for Parkinson’s Foundation sources, implements and funds essential arts and exercise programs specifically tailored to address the needs of people living with PD in Halton-Peel. The foundation aligns with community partners and certified instructors, and delivers free arts and exercise programs that help manage the physical, cognitive and social conditions associated with PD.
For more information about the foundation and its programs and events, visit https://passionforparkinsons.org, or connect on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/passionforparkinson or Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/passionforparkinsonsfoundation
 By Staff
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Conservation Halton advises that Environment Canada is forecasting that a low pressure system will bring widespread precipitation across southern Ontario this week. Currently, local forecasts indicate that 25-50 mm of rain is possible on Tuesday and continue through Wednesday. As temperatures cool towards Thursday, the rain may change to wet snow. The anticipated rainfall combined with increased runoff from wet soil conditions will result in elevated water levels in rivers and streams within our jurisdiction. In addition, although the current Lake Ontario water level is below the established flood threshold, strong easterly winds with gusts up to 70 km/h may produce wave up to 2 m along shoreline areas.
 Take the umbrella Widespread flooding is not anticipated, however, fast flowing water and flooding of low-lying areas, natural floodplains, and areas with poor drainage may be expected.
 Creek capacity gets breached when rainfall is heavier tan normal. Conservation Halton is asking all residents and children to keep a safe distance from all watercourses, Lake Ontario shoreline areas, and structures such as bridges, culverts, breakwalls, and dams. Elevated water levels, fast flowing water, and cold water temperatures combined with slippery conditions along stream banks and the potential for waves to overtop breakwalls continue to make these locations extremely dangerous. Please alert children in your care of these imminent dangers.
Conservation Halton will continue to monitor stream, lake, and weather conditions and will issue an update to this Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook & Lake Ontario Shoreline message as conditions warrant.
This Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook & Lake Ontario Shoreline will be in effect through Friday April 5, 2024.
By Staff
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Wednesday is garbage but Monday was a holiday – does that change my schedule?
 It can get confusing at times.
The Regional government has a personalized online waste collection calendar that has everything you need to manage your household waste.
All they need is your address and they will send you a printed calendar or put you on a list that tell you by email what you can put out – and when.
Get connected click HERE
By Pepper Parr
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Well then – who did fire two of the top level city hall staff?
There are only two people who can fire a city employee: The City Manager and the Mayor IF shes uses her Strong Mayor Powers.
IF the Mayor fires a staff member using her Strong Mayor powers she is required to post a notice on the city web site saying what she did and why she did it.
Now here is where it gets tricky.
 Mayors says: “misinformation, speculation, rumour and fear mongering out in the community.” The Mayor appears to have taken the position that she cannot write about the people who were fired because that would identify who they are and the rules the Mayor uses is that Burlington doesn’t name people publicly when there is a human resources matter.
The Mayor probably did not do the actual hiring herself: she would have directed the Executive Director of Human Resources to do the dirty – and, because that Executive is in place as an “interim” Executive Director, there was no way she was going to tell the Mayor it was not a task she was prepared to carry out.
We know the City Manager didn’t do the firing. He told us via a message from the City’s Communications department on March 22nd.
 City Manager Tim Commisso: not what he thought was going to happen when the Mayor chose him as City Manager after firing former City Manager James Ridge. Here is what we were sent:
“Responding on behalf of Tim Commisso, City Manager – Further to your requests to Council members and Corporate Communications, I can confirm Brynn Nheiley and Sheila Jones are no longer working for the City.
“As you know, it’s our policy not to comment on personnel matters, but I would like to note that the City is grateful to Brynn and Sheila for their many important contributions over the years and we wish them the very best in their future endeavours.”
Mayor Meed Ward is telling anyone who will listen that there is “misinformation, speculation, rumour and fear mongering out in the community.”
The misinformation is coming out of the mouth of the Mayor; speculation and rumour are the result of the elected leadership failing to be accountable and transparent.
The fear that has infected city hall is the result of a Mayor that hides behind procedures. Can you imagine the conversations that took place around the dinner tables of every single city employee during the Easter holiday? How many have decided that it is perhaps time to move on and fined a greener pasture?
There are those that know the full story – but they aren’t ready to speak – they do not want to incur the wrath of a Mayor who has let the power she has to go to her head.
Power does reveal – doesn’t it?
Now to find out more of the why.
Related News story
At best Mayor’s response
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
By Staff
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington library declares that sung or slammed, written or recited, poetry declares who we are, how we feel, and what we think, dream, and aspire to be.
They are inviting you to immerse yourself in the power of words at the 3rd annual Burlington Lyrics & Poetry Festival!
National Poetry Month salutes poems and poets, songs and songwriters with an exciting schedule of performances, workshops, and activities for all ages.
Register HERE for the event. Some events are already filled.
By Pepper Parr
April 1st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The petition asking the Mayor to give up her Strong Mayor powers has yet to pick up any momentum.
These things take time – however time is the one thing the people behind the petition don’t have.
 As of 10:00 am today there were just 127 signatures on the petition. As of this morning there were just 127 signatures on the petition.
The objective is to have 1000 signatures by April 16th; the date by which the Mayor is committed to give her decision to Council.
For those who wish to sign the petition – the link is HERE
If the petition doesn’t get the response many had hoped for – bet the farm on the Mayor declaring that the general public doesn’t want what the four members of Council want whixh is getting the Mayor to relinquish the Strong Mayor powers she has.
In the meantime the Mayor is working every social media platform she has saying:
“I welcome any conversation about democracy, governance and how council can continue to work together in a collaborative and consultative way. I welcome Council to make any requests of me they feel are important, and support Council in making this request.
“That is why I voted in favour of the motion that was approved unanimously by Council today. I will take the time to give it the thoughtful consideration it deserves. Council has requested I respond by the April 16 Council meeting, which I will do. “
“It is truly unfortunate there has been misinformation, speculation, rumour and fear mongering out in the community. I will do my best to focus on the facts — what has changed and what hasn’t.”
There was a bit of an uptick over the holiday weekend.
With 15 days left the petition people need to add just shy of 60 new signatures each day.
It is certainly do-able – but it will be a challenge.
Mayor Meed Ward is not going to feel challenged with 1000 signatures; 5000 signatures and she might rethink the position she has taken.
The disturbing part at this point is what the four councillors who brought on the Motion asking the Mayor to relinquish some of the Strong Mayor powers have done since they actually managed to bring the Mayor to heel.
Not a word that we could find from any of them on social media.
The Mayor is out there arguing her case with the public. The Council members are going to have to reach out to their constituents and make their case to them.
They clearly felt there was an issue (and there is) but they don’t seem prepared to fight publicly for what they want.
They won two rounds at Council. The Mayor did everything she could to keep the item off the agenda. She lost that fight.
 Mayor Meed Ward did everything she could to avoid the Motion brought by members of City Council. At this point there are four members (a majority) that want the Mayor to relinquish the Strong Mayor powers she has. Then when ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna moved that there by a Special meeting of Council; the Mayor who was opposed lost that vote as well.
 Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte, usually a mild mannered pussy cat – kept pushing the Mayor until she finally agreed that she would let Council know what she was prepared to do (if anything) on April 16th. Council members pressed the Mayor for a sense as to what she wanted to do. She bobbed and weaved doing everything she could until Councillor Shawna Stolte got her into a corner where she committed to giving Council an answer to their request that she relinquish her Strong Mayor Powers on April 16th.
That bought the Mayor some time during which she would do everything to convince the public that there was no need to give up the Strong Mayor powers.
The Motion that was moved had just three councillors behind it. For procedural bylaw reasons there could only be three names on the document. Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns made it very clear that she was in complete agreement with what her colleagues had done which was:
The citizens of the City of Burlington respectfully request Her Worship, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, comply with the requests contained in Motion memo Improving Local Democracy by Strengthening City Decision-Making (ADM-05-24); specifically,
That the Mayor delegate to Council the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under Section 284.5 of the Municipal Act, with respect to the City Manager; and
That the Mayor delegate to the City Manager the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under the Municipal Act, with respect to:
-
-
-
- determining the organizational structure of the municipality; and
- hiring, dismissing, or exercising any other prescribed employment powers with respect to any division or the head of any other part of the organizational structure; and
That the Mayor delegate to Council the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under f the Municipal Act, with respect to prescribed local boards or local boards within a prescribed class of local boards; and
That the Mayor delegate to Council the powers and duties assigned to the head of council under the Municipal Act, with respect to prescribed committees or committees within a prescribed class of committees.
 Councillor Stolte  Councillor Nisan  Councillor Galbraith All the four Councillors have to do is bring in 15 signatures each of the 15 days between now and the 16th and the 1000 signature target will have been met.
The three members of Council are going to have to screw up their courage and be both bold and innovative in how they put some muscle behind the request they made of the Mayor.
Related news story:
Councillors have to deal with an insolent Mayor
 By Pepper Parr
March 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
The following is from the April newsletter sent out by the ward Councillor just yesterday.
With a majority of the City Councillors in open revolt – challenging the Mayor on her use of the Strong Mayor powers that were declared by the Premier of the province on July 1st of last years Councillor Sharman starts his newsletter with:
With the changing of the seasons comes a renewed sense of energy and possibility. Happy Easter and Ramadan Mubarak to all of those celebrating.
As we step into April, we prepare to celebrate Earth Day- a time to reflect on our impact on the planet and take meaningful steps toward a greener future. Let us unite in preserving our environment for generations to come, through sustainable practices and conscious living.
April also marks Daffodil Month, a time to honour and support those affected by cancer. Like the resilient daffodil, we stand in solidarity with those facing this challenge, offering hope, strength and unwavering support to our community members.
In the spirit of growth and vitality, we are thrilled to welcome 3 new restaurants to our Ward 5 community. Each establishment brings its own unique flavours, offering our community more exciting dining options to explore and enjoy. Congratulations, Mighty Bird, Poke Works and Bombay Frankies.
 The good news is that the Skyway Community Centre is on target – not under budget – the federal government took a pass on providing the badly needed financial support We are making progress with the new Skway Arena and Community Centre as we look forward to opening it to the public later this year. Also, work on renovating the former Robert Bateman High school, which is now to be called the Robert Bateman Community Centre.
As always, please feel free to contact me directly by email at paul.sharman@burlington.ca or leave a message at 905-335-7600 ext. 7591. Should you wish to meet in person, please email ward5@burlington.ca to schedule an appointment.
For city service requests such as tree pruning, road safety, street maintenance, etc., please email city@burlington.ca for immediate attention.
 Unaware  You ain’t seen nothing yet  Is there a problem here that needs my serious attention. Below, you will find some key information and we warmly encourage you to reach out, ask questions, and connect with us. As always, if you see me out and about, please say hi!
Should you bump into Councillor ask him what he is smoking?
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Staff
March 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The province of Ontario released the 2023 Sunshine list; the document that sets all those who earned more than $100,000 in the year 2023.
Here is a list of the top income earners for the city of Burlington, people earning over $200,000 a year.
The names in red are people who have retired or were let go.
When there are discussions related to staff salaries current City Manager Tim Commisso has explained that the city has to compete with other municipalities to get the talent it needs to be able t0 run a city that is expected to go through rapid population growth requiring large increases in housing. Because Burlington has very little in the way of land within the urban boundary that can be purchased by developers what land there is available gets used for high rise towers.
The planning expertise for high rise housing requires talent that Burlington just didn’t have. Add to that the changes made at the provincial level and you have a planning department that is struggling to stay on top of things.
Finally – there are the number of development application appeals that are at the Ontario Land Tribunal. Preparing for those requires staff time and the need for a beefed up legal department. It is far from a pretty picture.
Are other municipalities of comparable size going through the same experience? We do know that the Mayor of Guelph chose not to take on the Strong Mayor Powers and that they were given a decent chunk of money for meeting their development targets.
Which leads to the question: Is the Burlington situation unique ?
What is clear is that the city has experienced some significant retirements – they knew that was coming. The recent decision to let some very senior staff go hasn’t helped. The Mayor refuses to take responsibility for the decision citing information about people that is personal – yet the city manager was able to confirm that people the Gazette named has been let go. Looks and sounds like forked tongues to me
The decision on the part of the current Mayor to double down on the Strong Mayors powers hasn’t helped either. Add to that a Council that has yet to figure out a way to bring the Mayor to heal.
And finally – tax payers who have to pick up the cost of everything. Expect the tax payer blow back during the last budget presentation to be repeated next budget.
While Council may not have figured out how to put a leash on the Mayor – citizens know exactly what to do. Come the 2026 municipal election look for a blood bath.
| Name |
Title |
2022 |
2023 |
Increase % |
| Commisso, Tim |
City Manager |
$ 275,377.06 |
$ 301,993.94 |
9.67 |
| Ford, Joan |
Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer |
$ 242,396.60 |
$ 263,169.11 |
8.57 |
| Boyd, Laura |
Executive Director, Human Resources |
$ 211,310.92 |
$ 256,119.08 |
21.20 |
| Magi, Allan |
Executive Director, Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services |
$ 237,624.68 |
$ 254,034.58 |
6.91 |
| Shea Nicol, Nancy |
Executive Director, Legal Services and Corporate Council |
$ 242,464.89 |
$ 253,409.31 |
4.51 |
| Jones, Sheila |
Executive Director, Strategy Risk and Accountability |
$ 217,058.93 |
$ 226,593.50 |
4.39 |
| Nheiley, Brynn |
Executive Director, Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility |
$ 167,855.71 |
$ 215,825.95 |
28.58 |
| Macdonald, Chad |
Executive Director, Digital Service and Chief Information Officer |
$ 192,306.17 |
$ 214,654.08 |
11.62 |
| Scalera, Enrico |
Director, Roads Parks and Forestry |
$ 200,629.64 |
$ 207,649.46 |
3.50 |
| Anastasopoulos, Nick |
Director, Building Services and Chief Building Official |
#N/A |
$ 204,018.55 |
#N/A |
| Kummer, Craig |
Director, Transportation Services |
$ 180,785.86 |
$ 204,018.42 |
12.85 |
| Hamilton, Scott |
Director, Engineering Services |
$ 199,957.57 |
$ 203,787.64 |
1.92 |
| Ako-Adjei, Kwab |
Director, Corporate Communications and Engagement |
$ 183,423.83 |
$ 203,370.23 |
10.87 |
| Hurley, Blake |
Executive Director, Legal Services and Corporate Council |
$ 186,761.34 |
$ 202,755.29 |
8.56 |
| Meed Ward, Marianne |
Mayor |
$ 191,619.82 |
$ 202,712.11 |
5.79 |
This is a list of everyone who received an increase of 10% or more. The list includes members of the fire department where overtime is being used to manage a staffing shortage.
| Name |
Title |
2022 |
2023 |
Increase % |
| Pawlik, John |
Deputy Fire Chief |
$107,660.18 |
$178,356.34 |
65.67 |
| Cote, Emilie |
Director, Recreation, Community and Culture |
$127,990.25 |
$175,804.23 |
37.36 |
| Remedios, Shirley |
Database Administrator |
$100,782.49 |
$137,108.19 |
36.04 |
| Begbie, Alison |
Application Analyst |
$102,272.67 |
$134,975.90 |
31.98 |
| Schustyk, Kevin |
Senior Traffic Signal Technician |
$103,479.41 |
$136,357.78 |
31.77 |
| Nheiley, Brynn |
Executive Director, Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility |
$167,855.71 |
$215,825.95 |
28.58 |
| Bell, Alan |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$106,938.75 |
$136,989.95 |
28.10 |
| Tellier, Jamie |
Director, Community Planning |
$142,899.43 |
$180,291.55 |
26.17 |
| Robinson, David |
Building Inspector |
$102,171.96 |
$126,663.32 |
23.97 |
| Kumar, Anil |
Engineer, Building |
$120,126.63 |
$148,752.62 |
23.83 |
| Weaver, Judy |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$111,697.74 |
$138,194.81 |
23.72 |
| Kerr, Amanda |
Recreation Planner |
$103,194.02 |
$127,286.39 |
23.35 |
| Bethlehem, Gerald |
Building Inspector |
$100,414.34 |
$123,658.76 |
23.15 |
| Savrnoch, Gerald |
Building Inspector |
$100,545.64 |
$123,653.19 |
22.98 |
| Malik, Umar |
Stormwater Engineer, Development |
$115,485.79 |
$141,089.04 |
22.17 |
| Mahrous, Ebtessam |
Architect, Building |
$103,014.34 |
$125,849.61 |
22.17 |
| Naismith, Andrea |
Consultant, Organizational Development |
$101,103.42 |
$123,295.77 |
21.95 |
| Obal, Leigh-Ann |
Business Partner, Human Resources |
$110,944.95 |
$134,901.16 |
21.59 |
| Boyd, Laura |
Executive Director, Human Resources |
$211,310.92 |
$256,119.08 |
21.20 |
| Mchugh, Tina |
Manager, Data Analytics and Visualization |
$116,705.43 |
$141,019.05 |
20.83 |
| Gagliano, Michael |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$107,585.83 |
$129,807.30 |
20.65 |
| Mark, Kristen |
Application Analyst |
$129,210.15 |
$155,134.14 |
20.06 |
| Rabeau, Marion |
Manager, Design and Construction – Parks |
$126,372.16 |
$151,688.54 |
20.03 |
| Farbotko, Michael |
Architect, Digital Platform |
$113,640.45 |
$136,135.61 |
19.80 |
| Garcha, Kulbir |
Manager, Information Technology Systems |
$136,513.08 |
$163,532.43 |
19.79 |
| Robichaud, Lynn |
Manager, Environmental Sustainability |
$118,676.33 |
$141,670.27 |
19.38 |
| Kennedy, Trudy |
Manager, Building Inspections and Deputy Chief Building Official |
$131,370.09 |
$156,128.34 |
18.85 |
| Renner, Kirsten |
Supervisor, Payroll Services |
$100,595.14 |
$119,322.73 |
18.62 |
| King, Chris |
Manager, Transportation Operations |
$104,303.14 |
$123,701.59 |
18.60 |
| Schut, Paul |
Data Modeler |
$104,471.20 |
$123,677.97 |
18.38 |
| Maas, Andrew |
Manager, Asset Planning |
$131,568.75 |
$155,165.03 |
17.93 |
| Woods, Donna |
Business Partner, Human Resources |
$114,109.63 |
$134,295.75 |
17.69 |
| Beishuizen, Roy |
Firefighter |
$103,659.33 |
$121,913.73 |
17.61 |
| Yaromich, Janine |
Manager, Design and Construction – Roadways |
$132,755.44 |
$156,084.05 |
17.57 |
| Plas, Kyle |
Manager, Development and Design |
$138,949.20 |
$163,114.45 |
17.39 |
| Swioklo, Paul |
Manager, Corporate Fleet |
$102,383.70 |
$119,889.34 |
17.10 |
| Maxwell, Sandra |
Manager, Festival and Events |
$102,780.96 |
$120,246.78 |
16.99 |
| Filice, Suzanne |
Senior Business Partner, Labour Relations |
$114,658.16 |
$134,124.36 |
16.98 |
| Enns, Alison |
Manager, Policy and Community Initiatives |
$133,664.96 |
$156,184.64 |
16.85 |
| Clark, Cary |
Manager, Development and Stormwater Engineering |
$142,428.20 |
$166,384.24 |
16.82 |
| Wing, Paul |
Firefighter |
$102,973.19 |
$120,060.90 |
16.59 |
| Baldelli, Catherine |
Director, Transit |
$149,493.96 |
$174,144.74 |
16.49 |
| Spence, Jennifer |
Manager, Recreation, Community and Culture Community Development |
$106,365.67 |
$123,815.43 |
16.41 |
| Evfremidis, Susan |
Manager, Human Resource Services |
$129,514.06 |
$150,569.66 |
16.26 |
| Dwyer, Michelle |
Manager, Engagement and Volunteers |
$111,362.63 |
$129,277.88 |
16.09 |
| Holloway, Corry |
Fire Prevention Inspector |
$112,486.52 |
$130,088.27 |
15.65 |
| Temoche, Peter |
Firefighter |
$138,352.86 |
$159,879.31 |
15.56 |
| Higman, William |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$102,956.62 |
$118,966.26 |
15.55 |
| Foster, Chris |
Public Safety Telecommunicator |
$118,437.14 |
$136,831.29 |
15.53 |
| Puletto, Jenna |
Manager, Planning Implementation |
$113,503.62 |
$130,919.40 |
15.34 |
| D’Angelo, Amanda |
Supervisor, Planning Services and Committee of Adjustment |
$105,859.82 |
$121,741.72 |
15.00 |
| Jurczyk, Maciej |
City Auditor |
$155,481.78 |
$178,554.83 |
14.84 |
| Armstrong, Samantha |
Captain |
$130,827.54 |
$149,751.06 |
14.46 |
| Moore, Michelle |
Supervisor, Financial Reporting |
$137,636.23 |
$157,542.82 |
14.46 |
| Cowman, Peter |
Supervisor, Field Services |
$106,365.09 |
$121,535.96 |
14.26 |
| Collins, Scott |
Captain |
$143,432.56 |
$163,107.67 |
13.72 |
| Vanderlelie, Daniel |
Platoon Chief |
$155,071.80 |
$176,127.68 |
13.58 |
| Weake, Brad |
Manager, Tyandaga Golf Club |
$112,472.06 |
$127,470.65 |
13.34 |
| Yuill, Melissa |
Analyst, Total Compensation |
$113,303.82 |
$128,401.90 |
13.33 |
| Tiamiyu, Adedunmola |
Business Analyst |
$102,701.57 |
$116,175.89 |
13.12 |
| Kummer, Craig |
Director, Transportation Services |
$180,785.86 |
$204,018.42 |
12.85 |
| Davren, Kerry |
Manager, By-Law Enforcement |
$130,493.51 |
$147,230.57 |
12.83 |
| O’Reilly, Sandra |
Controller and Manager, Financial Services |
$151,874.12 |
$171,229.94 |
12.74 |
| Peterson, Richard |
Building Inspector |
$111,344.99 |
$125,441.38 |
12.66 |
| Turner, Brett |
Firefighter |
$123,677.97 |
$139,102.66 |
12.47 |
| Jivan, Lori |
Supervisor, Budgets and Policies |
$128,894.13 |
$144,900.01 |
12.42 |
| Boyd, Brett |
Supervisor, Cemetery Operations |
$105,502.43 |
$118,556.60 |
12.37 |
| Ullah, Sef |
Manager, Strategy and Portfolio Management |
$129,552.45 |
$145,440.78 |
12.26 |
| Selkirk, Colleen |
Specialist, Procurement |
$100,445.76 |
$112,246.24 |
11.75 |
| Macdonald, Chad |
Executive Director, Digital Service and Chief Information Officer |
$192,306.17 |
$214,654.08 |
11.62 |
| Bird, Marc-Andrew |
Manager, Recreation, Community and Culture Customer Experience and Marketing |
$105,462.82 |
$117,653.54 |
11.56 |
| Pavlou, Kathy |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$102,836.60 |
$114,688.02 |
11.52 |
| Medeiros, Joshua |
Project Manager, Site Engineering |
$102,516.79 |
$114,313.57 |
11.51 |
| Krizan, Steve |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$101,556.55 |
$113,176.19 |
11.44 |
| Mcisaac, Jeffrey |
Supervisor, Site Engineering |
$107,325.81 |
$119,578.80 |
11.42 |
| Trella, Rich |
Manager, Recreation, Community and Culture Facility Operations |
$108,958.14 |
$121,381.15 |
11.40 |
| Thorburn, Philip |
Deputy Fire Chief |
$163,407.25 |
$181,717.60 |
11.21 |
| Akinloye, Florence |
Supervisor, Accounting Services |
$113,647.29 |
$126,177.99 |
11.03 |
| Rukundo, Maxine |
Business Analyst |
$107,601.08 |
$119,361.14 |
10.93 |
| Pedlar, Tom |
Supervisor, Energy and Emissions |
$106,034.59 |
$117,608.51 |
10.92 |
| Duncan, Brian |
Supervisor, Roads, Parks and Forestry Technical Services |
$109,713.22 |
$121,680.93 |
10.91 |
| Hagley, Robert |
Supervisor, Customer Experience |
$101,438.26 |
$112,495.86 |
10.90 |
| Martin, Christopher |
Incident Safety Officer |
$148,072.93 |
$164,212.84 |
10.90 |
| Ako-Adjei, Kwab |
Director, Corporate Communications and Engagement |
$183,423.83 |
$203,370.23 |
10.87 |
| Kewell, John |
Senior Plans Examiner |
$109,928.18 |
$121,862.39 |
10.86 |
| Rodgers, Mark |
Firefighter |
$114,323.26 |
$126,445.98 |
10.60 |
| Sidhu, Kirpal |
Transit Operator |
$102,497.59 |
$113,362.26 |
10.60 |
| Ellis, Rebecca |
Supervisor, Landscape Architecture |
$100,431.29 |
$111,049.12 |
10.57 |
| Cook, Kelly |
Senior Planner, Policy |
$101,173.99 |
$111,825.25 |
10.53 |
| Romlewski, Samantha |
Senior Planner, Community Initiatives |
$101,174.03 |
$111,825.22 |
10.53 |
| Tuomi, Alyshia |
Supervisor, Asset Management |
$106,972.07 |
$118,219.95 |
10.51 |
| Girgis, Hany |
Transit Operator |
$121,617.68 |
$134,151.55 |
10.31 |
By Jan Vrbik.
March 30th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The rarity of a total solar eclipse, set to take place over Niagara and select areas across North America April 8, can be better understood by breaking down the math and science involved, says a Brock University expert.
The celestial phenomenon, in which the moon completely blocks the sun and turns the daytime sky dark enough to see stars for several minutes, will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many who witness it next month.
Jan Vrbik, a Professor of Mathematics who studies the movement of the sun, planets and moons, says there are four factors that make witnessing a total solar eclipse quite rare.
 Path of the eclipse through North America The distances of the sun and moon from the Earth
Even though the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, when we look at them in the sky, they appear to be practically the same size. This is because their distances from Earth are roughly in the same 400 to one ratio.
It’s why the moon can obscure the sun, either partially or fully, to create a solar eclipse.
The tilt of the moon’s orbit
The moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle — it’s an ellipse — so the distance of the moon from Earth fluctuates depending on where it is along its orbit.
It varies by 11 per cent each month, which implies that the moon’s disk also fluctuates in size compared to the sun.
About 35 per cent of the time, the moon’s disk is bigger than the sun’s disk, and the other 65 per cent of the time, it’s the reverse.
The intersection of the sun and moon’s orbits
The Earth orbits the sun once a year, while the moon circles the Earth once a month. If the sun and moon’s orbits were on the same plane, an eclipse would happen every month, but the moon’s orbit is tilted by about five degrees from the sun’s orbit.
This means that at most new moons, the moon is either visibly higher or lower in the sky than the sun. Nevertheless, the moon needs to cross the plane of the sun’s orbit twice during its monthly cycle, at an intersection called a ‘node.’ Eclipses happen only when, during a new moon, the sun’s direction is closely aligned with one of these nodes, which happens regularly twice a year.
He says 23 per cent of solar eclipses are ‘total,’ when the moon fully covers the sun, and 42 per cent are ‘annular,’ when the moon’s disk is smaller than the sun’s disk and a ‘ring of fire’ is seen.
Thirty-five per cent of solar eclipses run so much off the Earth’s centre that only a partial eclipse is observed on one side of the globe — with the actual path of totality missing the Earth entirely.
 Path of the eclipse as it enters and leaves North America The moon’s shadow along the path of totality
For both an annular and total solar eclipse, the moon’s shadow needs to cross the Earth’s surface.
The size of the moon’s shadow varies depending on how close in time the event is to when the moon is at its closest to Earth. Typically, the shadow is 150 kilometres (km) in a circular area. A much larger part of the Earth’s surface, about 7,000 kms across, will at the same time experience a partial eclipse, in which only a part of the sun’s disk is covered by the moon.
The shadow’s path across the globe is a combination of the moon’s straight-line motion of about one km per second and the Earth’s rotation of close to 0.5 km per second, complicated more by the fact that the Earth’s axis is tilted.
If people are in the right place at the right time, they can witness a total solar eclipse for three to four minutes.
Adding it all up
When one considers the movement of the sun, the Earth and the moon, as well as their orbits, speed, distance and alignment from each other, it is easier to understand why a total solar eclipse is so rare.
While a total solar eclipse occurs on Earth every 18 months, it usually occurs over water. The last time a total solar eclipse occurred over Ontario was in 1979. The next one won’t happen again over the province until 2099.
If you know the length of each celestial body’s cycle, you can easily predict when an eclipse will happen again. Experiencing a total solar eclipse from a specific location is a rare privilege, typically separated from the next such occurrence by several centuries.
 Vrbik will be among a group of Brock experts leading discussions and educational exhibits around the solar eclipse during ‘Eclipse on the Escarpment,’ a free community event being held on Brock’s main campus Monday, April 8.
 We remember the day.
We call it Good Friday.
The saints Mark, Luke and John are believed to have said the following at the time.
Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Luke 23:43, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
John 19:26-27, “Woman, here is your son… Here is your mother.”
John 19:28, “I am thirsty.”
John 19:30, “It is finished.”
 By James Portside
March 28th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The province of Ontario released the 2023 Sunshine list; the document that sets all those who earned more than $100,000 in the year 2023.
In 2023 Burlington’s operating budget was $314.3 million dollars and the capital budget was $72.6 million dollars. Salaries come out of the Operating budget
The number of people working for the city and making over $100,000 per year increased by 16%. The 2022 list contained 393 names, the 2023 list contains 457 names.
 Of the roughly 850 full time employees 458 people now earn over $100,000 per year. I’m wondering what the politically correct version of “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” is.
The 2023 list includes nine people with the job title “Transit Operator”, four people with the job title “Mechanic” and one person with the title “Officer, Animal Control”.
Of the people we elect to manage our tax dollars the one person with the job title “Mayor” earned $202,712.10 after a 5.79% raise and the six people with the job title “Councillor” each had an average income of $119,802.70 after a 6.28% increase.
A total of 84 people, outside of the fire department, received raises of more than 10%. Only 16 of these people had changes in their job titles.
Our city manager, who has resigned, received a 9.67% increase.
In first place is Emilie Cote as our “Director, Recreation, Community and Culture”. Emilie received a 37.34% salary increase in 2023.
 In second place is Kevin Schustyk. Kevin is our “Senior Traffic Signal Technician” and received a 31.77% increase. Someone should tell Kevin that the traffic lights have yet to be synchronized.
Rounding out the trifecta is Brynn Nheiley with a 28.58% increase bringing Brynn’s salary to $215,826. (More than the Mayor) As reported in the Burlington Gazette, Brynn recently left the city and, assuming there is a severance package, the package will be based on the $215,826 salary. Brynn left the City of Hamilton and started working for Burlington in March of 2019. Brynn first appears on the sunshine list in 2020 meaning her salary moved from less than $100,000 in 2019 to $215,826 in 2023.
Meanwhile the number of taxpayers unable to pay their property taxes increase to 2.9% in 2023. The highest level in the past six years.
 Obviously, all is well at city hall. After pushing through a 15.5% increase to property tax revenue in 2023, with almost no population growth staff have been richly rewarded. Our mayor likes to call the 15.5% increase a 7.5% impact on our total tax bill but the reality is the city receives 15.5% more revenue from taxpayers in 2023 and, based on the sunshine list, they know how to spend the money.
Jim has lived in Burlington for much of his life and has watched the city change and grow over the years. With over 1,000 people working for the city there is a lot going on. As a now retired, successful business owner, Jim is interested in exploring and sharing some of what our local government is working on. You can reach Jim by emailing Jim.Portside@gmail.com
By Eric Stern
March 28th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
On Thursday Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tabled a $214 billion dollar budget. The budget will invest in more roads, highways and transit. The budget will also invest more for housing.
 Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy walk into the Legislature with the 2024 budget in their hands The annual provincial deficit is predicted to double from the previous estimate of $5.3 billion to $9.8 billion. A balanced budget is predicted for 2026-2027. Bethlenfalvy opened with remarks about a slowing economy and this is the main reason for a projected deficit. Another major factor is over $6 billion in payments to the public sector after the wage restraint legislation was found to be unconstitutional.
Other highlights:
In addition to a 1.3% increase in health care funding the budget includes $546 million over 3 years, starting in 2025, to link 600,000 people with primary care teams. Additional $152 million will be spent to provide stable housing for people with mental health conditions and addictions. A new medical school will be created in Vaughan, Ont. In affiliation with York University as a step towards having more family doctors available.
Bethlenfalvy commented that Pickering has received $5.2 million for meeting their housing targets. More money will be invested into this fund.
There was no mention of any funding working its way to Burlington.
Perhaps our council can stop their infighting and work to access some of these funds.
 Eric Stern is one of the citizens who took the city of Burlington to task when the budget was released in 2023. He has delegated frequently.
 By Ray Rivers
March 28th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
There are always some things to like and hate in a budget. For example announcing a new much needed medical college is welcome. However it is hard to grasp all of the good things, given the enormity and redundancy of the budget document. Clearly it was written by a committee and, from all the partisan propaganda, was overseen by a politico.
 Perhaps the best reason to read a budget is the snap shot of the state of the province it provides. And the state of Ontario is not in a good place.. By almost every measure, Ontario residents are worse off economically today than they were six years ago under the Wynne Liberal government.
 Premier Ford and Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance – A couple of sports touting a budget that Economic growth has faltered, dropping from last year’s unspectacular 1.2% to a miserable forecasted 0.3% in 2024. By contrast, six years ago under the Wynne government, our economy was ticking along at over two percent. The consequence of a stalling economy is an increase in jobless numbers. Unemployment is expected to climb to over 6% this year and likely will only get worse after that. Six years ago the jobless rate was 5.6%, about the national average, not trailing it as we are today.
It’s only been a year since the pandemic ended, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the economic indicators last year were better than today. And, though COVID forced a partial economic shut down, most of the money needed to support people during the pandemic came from the federal government, not Ontario.
Perhaps the most striking example of Mr. Ford’s challenges in managing the economy are seen by the growth in Ontario’s debt level. Mr. Ford came into the 2018 election, guns a-blazing, bragging about how he alone could wrestle the province’s budgetary deficit into the ground. So what happened? The province’s deficit for the last full budget year in 2017/18 was $3.7 billion but today’s budget tells us it will soar to a staggering $9.8 billion this year.
 Meanwhile Ontario’s debt is rocketing on a pathway to land at close to a half trillion somewhere after the next provincial election. So much for all those crocodile tears the Tories were offering about saddling our children, and theirs, with all that debt. Ford’s contribution to that debt burden is heading towards $100 billion over those last six years – going from something like $324 billion to well over $400 billion today.
It’s true Ford is throwing away a billion or so every year since he killed the provincial carbon emissions trading program. And he blew millions terminating all emerging renewable energy production projects in Ontario. He spilled even more millions trying to fight the feds on carbon pricing: between the legal proceedings, the gas pump stickers and all those propaganda advertisements. As a last desperate measure the premier tried to undercut the carbon tax by slashing the provincial gas road tax, and in the process deprived the treasury of millions of dollars to fund highway maintenance and construction.
 Of course no one should forget those Tory-blue licence plates which couldn’t even be read. Then, having failed those developers wanting to gobble up the greenbelt, he is now plowing taxpayer dollars into this 413 highway that virtually no one will use for decades. But it will profit those developers holding land on the highway route. And there is the matter of the six billion dollars to compensate health care and other workers affected by his putative salary freeze in the lead-up to the COVID crisis.
 The sign says it all The hallmark policy that ended 15 years of Liberal governance of the province was electricity. The provincial auditor general had unleashed a storm of criticism with a series of largely hypothetical calculations damning Ontario’s renewable energy program, and all but sealing Kathleen Wynne’s future. Doug Ford came into power promising to bring down the high cost of electricity. But all he has done is add more subsidies to the program and run up more debt than ever. Oh and he has increased our carbon footprint by adding more gas generation to make up for all the renewable facilities he cancelled.
The results are that even though consumer costs for electrical energy have continued to climb at about 2% a year, the consumer subsidy has increased more than four fold, from $1.6 billion when he came to power to over $7 billion dollars in the 2024 budget. Ontario has become a socialist state when it comes to electrical power, even though it is governed by the most right wing idealist since Mike Harris.
This 2024 budget is not a good news document. And there is only one word for how we got here: incompetence. Doug Ford is a very persuasive and eloquent populist. But when it comes to management, he clearly prefers sleeping at the switch – or riding his snowmobile as he was doing when Ottawa was under attack by a convoy of misfits claiming to represent the trucking industry a few years ago.
This 2024 budget symbolizes how far downhill this province has fallen since we elected a mostly jovial but misguided ideologue with little knowledge about the job he was assuming as its premier. The good news is that there are replacements waiting to take his place. The bad news is that replacement is unlikely to happen for another two years.
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background Links
Budget document – Unemployment – Deficit Triples – Electricity rates –
Subsidizing Hydro – Debt History – Carefree Spending –
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