Preview of Burlington's 2022 Budget Proposed Changes from Mayor & Council

As part of every budget process, the Mayor and Councillors can offer proposed changes to the budget. These will form part of the agenda for the Nov. 30 Community Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability (CSSRA) Committee meeting.For the 2022 proposed budget, Mayor Meed Ward will be bringing forward 15 changes aimed at getting $1.27 million in savings or additional revenue. See her motion memo here.Several other members of Council will also be bringing forward changes. If all of these (in addition to the Mayor's changes) are approved by committee and council, it would be several millions in savings or additional revenue.You can view the full list of all proposed changes (budget amendment requests - BARs) here.An additional day is set aside on Thursday, Dec. 2 for additional budget deliberations, if needed, with a final approval vote on the proposed 2022 Budget by Burlington City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 14.To get an overview of the proposed 2022 capital and operating budgets click here. You can view a digital copy of the 2022 proposed budget book at burlington.ca/budgetStaff is proposing a 5.45% increase to the City's portion of the tax bill that, when combined with the estimated regional and education tax levies, would translate to an overall project tax increase of 3.18% (or $24.76 per $100,000 of property assessment) for a Burlington homeowner.DELEGATINGYou can provide your feedback/input by delegating at the Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 virtual CSSRA Committee meetings and the Dec. 14 virtual Council meeting. Please head to burlington.ca/delegate or email the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@burlington.ca.MAYOR MEED WARD'S TAKE:My review of the budget and suggested modifications flow from several strategic principles, including managing the "now" needs of our City while taking steps towards our long-term strategic goals and holding costs until known revenue comes in.My goal is to maintain an appropriate balance between affordability, service levels and financial sustainability, taking into consideration public feedback, ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and protecting and enhancing services of value to our community.I believe this budget, and the modifications being brought forward, achieve this balance.--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist