City of Burlington seeking community feedback amid 2021 budget process
Published December 2, 2020 at 4:09 pm
The City of Burlington is currently seeking community feedback as the process to determine the City’s 2021 budget is underway.
While it consists of an operating budget for the delivery of services to the community, it also consists of a capital budget to invest in the construction and renewal of city assets and infrastructure.
On Dec. 10 at 9:30 am, an overview of the capital budget will be presented to Burlington City Council at a Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee meeting.
A livestream of the virtual meeting will be available on the City’s website, along with a copy of the report being presented.
The proposed 2021 capital budget is approximately $72.1 million, with a ten-year program of $786.4 million.
From the 10-year capital program, 70% is focused on infrastructure renewal projects in accordance with the city’s asset management plan, 16% is for growth projects and 14% for new or enhanced projects.
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A copy of the proposed 2021 capital budget will be available here.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s financial position is facing pressure with a forecast of over $18 million in revenue losses by the end of 2020.
While a large portion of these losses are being mitigated with an on-going expenditure restraint program and support from senior levels of government, the City is projecting a variance at year-end of more than $2.7 million.
It is anticipated that these challenges will continue until a vaccine is developed and provincial restrictions are fully lifted.
The planned increase to the city’s dedicated infrastructure renewal levy in 2021 (1.25%) has been temporarily redirected to the operating budget for one year to partially mitigate the 2021 impact of COVID-19 on the city’s operating budget.
This will provide $2.18 million of one-time funding to offset the anticipated one-time COVID-19 impacts in 2021, reducing the amount of 2021 capital funding.
The city is currently seeking community feedback on which services are a priority for residents during these unprecedented times where the city has fewer options for how to spend its money.
To gather feedback from residents, the City will be hosting an online survey, open from Dec. 2 to Jan. 8, 2021.
Residents can also share their thoughts at a virtual budget town hall on Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, which will be hosted by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.
The live event will provide residents with an opportunity to learn more and ask questions about the proposed 2021 budget.
More details about the town hall, including a link to join the meeting, will be available here in the coming days.
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