By Pepper Parr
November 21st, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
The Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Budget Committee Meeting that lifts off at 9:30 this morning will hear 10 people delegating on the budget. Based on the comments we are seeing in the Gazette this should be interesting.
We will report in depth on all of them.
There are also 50 pieces of correspondence on the 2024 Budget Review – that people will not hear and we suspect very few will take the time to dig into the web site and read letters written.
We wonder how many members of Council have taken the time to get the funny bone ticked and read what the people of the city have to say.
In the 12 years we have been covering city council we have never seen anything like this.
There are now 2898 signatures on the citizen based petition.
It will take some time to work through all the correspondence. Taken at random:
I oppose the 2024 tax increase. We believe there are many things in this budget that are not necessities and not required on an emergency basis.
It appears that this City government is spending money unnecessarily and it seems foolish given the fact that many can’t afford food, mortgage payments, utilities, etc. The spending should be much more controlled considering the economic climate we’re currently in.
Many things in our opinion should be scrapped or left for another more prosperous time.
Smart spending and no fluff.
There is something going on out there.
And if you are interested – the city is doing a Zoom on what would you like to see done with Civic Square.
Public engagement opportunities
- Nov. 21, 7 to 9 p.m. Online. Register at getinvolvedburlington.ca/civicsquare