Joint Statement on Burlington's 2024 Budget: Focusing on Essentials, Frontline Services & Planning for Future Growth

Budget
Written By

*Please see below a joint statement from Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Deputy Mayor for Strategy and Budgets Paul Sharman.Burlington, Ont. — Nov. 28, 2023 — The City of Burlington has an approved 2024 Budget. Council brought forward 62 proposed amendments to the budget – a culmination of cuts, neutral motions, and additions. A total of 27 were approved that brought the tax impact for the City portion of your property tax bill to 4.99%. When combined with the forecasted increases of Halton Region (1.69%) and Education (0%), the total increase to your property tax bill is 6.68%. In real dollars, this translates to an approximate $57.53 increase per $100,000 of an urban home’s current residential value assessment.At the end of the day, this is a Mayor and Council budget that is based on community feedback and guidance from City staff.We understand these are difficult times for everyone with increased living and housing costs. The Mayor’s initial budget reduced the proposed tax impact by 1% from the initial recommended rate proposed by City staff in their 2024 Financial Needs and Multi-Year Forecast Reference Document. Council made difficult budget decisions, listening to those in the community and trying to balance the asks to cut City services to reduce taxes and the calls to increase taxes to maintain or enhance services. We have seen what happens in communities around us that do not invest enough in infrastructure or services: crumbling roads, closed community centres, and more. This budget plans for the short and long term to ensure we are investing in infrastructure and the services our residents expect.Burlington’s 2024 Budget is a “needs-to-have” budget that focuses on essentials, frontline services, and planning for growth. The City is not immune to inflation, and the construction price index has gone up 41% since 2017. That makes existing and future contracts more expensive, as we strive to keep Burlington in a state of good repair.Tax increases are not easy, particularly at a time when many are struggling to meet day-to-day costs. To respond to these concerns, Council tripled our investment in the City’s property tax rebate program, and asked staff to review income and age eligibility beyond seniors, so low-income homeowners can be eligible without an age restriction. We will get further information on a new program in the New Year.We also heard from the community their concerns about this year’s and future years’ tax increases. Under new Provincial legislation, the Mayor is required to present an annual budget, but can also issue directions for staff on a number of matters, including the tax rate. We want to work with Council, staff and the community and hear their thoughts on setting a proposed tax rate for the 2025 and 2026 budgets with our initial proposal being at 2.99% for City services, with an additional separate infrastructure levy at 1%.We recognize the 2024 City and overall tax increase is unusual, and more than what many residents were asking for. City Hall is not immune to the challenges being faced by our community and delaying these much-needed investments in order to reduce this year’s tax increase would be a disservice and for some City services, such as road repair, would cost up to 10 times more if they are not made early enough. This budget continues to build on investments in capital and services our community has asked for and needs, and will serve to improve Burlington today and into the future.Sincerely,Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Deputy Mayor for Strategy & Budgets Paul Sharman

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ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

  • The 2024 Budget was deemed approved by Mayor Meed Ward on Nov. 28.
  • In 2024, as a result of new Provincial legislation, Mayors across Ontario had the added responsibility of presenting a budget for their municipalities. In Burlington, Council also had the responsibility to present proposed changes to the budget.
  • With many new changes to the budget process, what stayed the same, as in previous years, was having a budget reflective of the city’s and residents’ needs, proposed amendments from Council members, and multiple opportunities for the community to engage and provide their feedback. Burlington's budget process has always been subject to revisions and amendments, and public input – and that did not change this year.
  • Community Feedback:
    • Feedback from the community on the budget was taken through multiple touchpoints, including:
      • directly to Mayor and Council;
      • a Telephone Town Hall (with nearly 5,000 people participating);
      • online on the City’s ‘Get Involved’ webpage;
      • a statistically-valid community survey; and
      • multiple community drop-in sessions hosted by Ward Councillors.
    • Council has heard from thousands of residents during the 2024 budget deliberations, expressing concerns about affordability, inflation on basic items like groceries, and rising housing costs and interest rates. We have heard a range of perspectives about what the community would like us to do, from a zero tax rate increase or a tax cut, 3% tax increase up to 4 and 5% increase. We have also heard from residents supporting increased taxes.
    • The GetInvolved budget survey commissioned by the City showed 55% of residents support a cut to services to maintain current taxes, or a cut to services to reduce taxes.
      • Additionally, 91% of residents on the GetInvolved budget survey said that it was “somewhat important” or “important” to set aside funding to replace infrastructure, such as roads, to ensure they meet community needs now and into the future. The second part of the Mayor’s Direction responds to this feedback by separating out a dedicated infrastructure with a minimum 2% commitment each year.
    • Separately, the statistically valid community survey found that:
      • 57% of residents support increasing taxes to enhance services or to maintain services at current levels.
      • This survey is considered an accurate predictor of the majority of Burlington residents, 95% of the time, within a range of 3% either way.
    • We must consider and balance all this input, as well as the long-term financial sustainability of the city and all its services in preparing annual budgets, this one as well as future ones. We want residents to know we have heard them, and are working to respond to all the input we’ve received. The hope in providing the Mayor's Direction is to provide some predictability to staff and the community about future budgets, and respond to the request to keep the tax increases as low as possible.
    • The Mayor and Council thank those residents who provided specific suggestions on where to make cuts in the budget, helping Council know where any changes should be made.
  • City of Burlington 2024 Budget Key Investments:
    • Enhancing frontline service delivery with additional transit operators, firefighters, by-law licensing clerks and customer experience staff to respond to your concerns
    • Funding for three new community facilities – Skyway Community Centre, the newly renovated Mountainside pool and the former Robert Bateman High School
    • $88.6 million of capital investment in 2024 to keep our infrastructure assets like buildings, roads and parks in a state of good repair
    • Funding dedicated to future land and facility needs for our growing and changing community
    • Free all-day transit for seniors
    • Support for our Community Planning Housing Initiative
    • Support to bring the City’s IT infrastructure into the 21st century

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