Short on frills, Burlington’s 2025 budget looks to fix and maintain

Burlington’s proposed budget for 2025 shows the city is gearing up to meet a population explosion that will put pressure on services and infrastructure in the years ahead.

The $471.1 million budget deals with rising costs, fixing and maintaining aging infrastructure, flood control and a few new initiatives that amount to an overall tax increase of 4,97 per cent in 2025 which translates into a hike of $45.66 per $100,000 of a properties’ current value assessment.

This is the second year the budget has been submitted under the Strong Mayor powers granted by the Province of Ontario which requires mayors to present a budget for council consideration, or direct staff to present a budget. This year Mayor Marianne Meed Ward directed city staff to prepare and present the budget.

The budget calls for $103 million in spending on capital projects such as upgrading parks, community centres and other city facilities as well as major changes to Plains Road. Included in the capital costs is $5.2 million for stormwater management to mitigate future flood damage,

“With our city expected to grow by over 40 per cent in the next 25 years, careful planning is essential. That’s why this budget focuses on significant infrastructure investments that will benefit our community in the years to come,” said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward in the budget document. “You’ll see improvements to neighbourhood parks, upgrades to road safety, and efforts to prevent flooding. These are investments you’ll experience day-to-day, whether it’s enjoying a safer drive to work or spending more time in a revitalized park with your family.”

Other impacts on the budget will be the ongoing costs for reconstruction at the Robert Bateman Community Centre and Skyway Arena.

The city also plans to increase its bylaw enforcement team, add more transit buses, increase the number of photo radar systems and put more portable washrooms in parks.

In preparing the budget, the mayor said the goal is to ensure that the dollars that will be spent align with the needs and values of the community.

“We’re keeping affordability top of mind while still delivering the services that matter most — like maintaining our community centres, addressing climate change, and supporting affordable housing,” the mayor said.

What happens next is several steps before the budget is approved. At the committee and council meeting stage the budget is open for debate and items can be added or removed.

• Nov. 4 – Burlington Committee of the Whole meeting. Delegates can attend the meeting.
• Nov. 7 – Budget telephone town hall, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• Nov. 18 and 21 – Budget Committee meeting.
• Nov. 25 – Special Council Meeting for budget approval.

The complete proposed 615-page budget document can be found here.