Burlington council approves 7.52 per cent tax increase
Last week a Burlington committee condensed a possible three-day scheduled tax discussion into one day, with Coun. Shawna Stolte remarking that maybe they don’t make their best decisions that way. She suggested returning the next day, but they carried on. The meeting lasted 12 hours with meal breaks. So much detail! Very complex for best results.
Burlington’s staff team meets early in the budget cycle and prepares options for council to accept or change. Then its superb finance group prepares the budget. Staff noted that future revenues will be lower from developers, because development charges and park dedication were reduced by the province in its housing legislation. New assessment is low, at 0.60 per cent, so little new revenue this year from that source.
Councillors submit suggestions for additions or deletions, and this year, justification for each.
Angelo Bentivegna requested 14 deletions, but Mayor Marianne Meed Ward along with Couns Rory Nisan and Paul Sharman wanted increases to improve services. Neither Kelvin Galbraith nor Shawna Stolte proposed changes, but participated fully in debates.
Sharman wanted (and got) $1 million for an innovation and transformation fund to implement initiatives in the city’s strategic plan.
Council had learned in January — after budget preparation — that consultants had recommended a major overhaul of the IT system. This fund could be used for that. He has extensive experience in the field, and said the city system was like one in the ’90s. One program doesn’t talk to another. Anyone who has used its search engine will agree. (I spent 20 unsuccessful minutes seeking cycling committee minutes.)
Bentivegna suggested14 deletions, but most were cuts to staffing which council had deemed essential in a high growth community — like firefighters and bylaw officers. All failed because most would have needed funding in 2024, which is already projecting a hike of 6.96 per cent.
Burlington, like Hamilton and Oakville, faces challenges hiring and retaining staff, a problem for municipalities everywhere, and employee poaching is prevalent.
One staff and program he wanted cut ($120,945) had merit in my opinion — home energy retrofits. Staff would advise people on energy-saving renos and direct them to loans. But Canada offers a grant program. Unnecessary duplication?
Staff had recommended weekend parking fees for Beachway Park (free weekdays) but Meed Ward wanted 10 free passes available ($84,600) and setting up a parking reserve fund for Beachway from revenues — another $85,400. Approved.
Nisan was Santa Claus with the big giveaways. His proposals make sense in a strong economy, but when people are hurting? He proposed free transit for 13-19 year olds for weekends and evenings, foregoing revenues, and adding a supervisor. Got the free transit — $84,000.
He is council’s appointee on the city’s cycling committee. It had created a council-approved master plan (MP). No funds were allotted this year, but a huge investment was made in the Plains Road reconstruction project underway, with protected lanes on both sides. He wanted $1 million (got $500,000). Meed Ward said council has approved other MPs, and should be funding them. But today?
Another $100,000 went to an “Open Roads” initiative, which would actually close them to cars, but keep them open for unmotorized races, festivals and community events.
In total, $1,854,000 was added to the staff-proposed budget spending. The IT item was badly needed. To me, the others ranked as “nice to haves” not “need to haves.”
It was a long day. By the final bell, decorum had all but disappeared, and members were past their “best before” time as suggested earlier by Stolte.
Bottom line: a 7.52 per cent tax hike including Halton Region and school boards (staff had proposed 7.08), a 4.1 per cent hike to water bills, and debt maxed out to council’s pre-set limit. Stay tuned in 2024 for more drama!