öÏÓãÊÓƵapp

While there were varying opinions on what exactly should be done, there was a general consensus that the as it currently stands is too much for many residents to afford.

“There is no doubt that a 10.3 per cent budget increase is not acceptable. At a time when household finances are tight, council should be working to reduce the burden on our neighbours and families,â€� Adrian Salvatore, chair of the öÏÓãÊÓƵapp Coalition for Active Transportation, told council. However, he added council needs to avoid a “knee-jerk reactionâ€� to only cut and defer items.

“What must triumph is longer-term thinking. How do we ease the burden on residents while providing services that we want and need? How can our city be more resilient in the future?�

Among the programs bringing out several residents asking it be saved in its current form is the 10-year expansion strategy for öÏÓãÊÓƵapp Transit, initially in late 2021 and expected to cost a total of $13 million in the decade ahead. In an effort to avoid the property tax increase being even higher, city staff have said its implementation could be stretched out.

“Transit can no longer be the sacrificial lamb for short-term savings, particularly in the face of a declared climate emergency and housing crisis,â€� Steven Petric, speaking on behalf of Transit Action Alliance öÏÓãÊÓƵapp, said, calling the delay of transit improvements “short sightedâ€� and “detrimental to our community.â€�

“We cannot afford to extend this plan up to 15 years. It deviates from industry norms and puts us even further behind.�

Nelson Chukwuma, president of Conestoga Students Inc., which represents the college’s students, told council students at the Speedvale campus are already facing issues with the current state of transit, and that delaying improvements, especially with a expected to open in the coming years, will only lead to more problems.

“It is clear öÏÓãÊÓƵapp Transit is no longer at capacity — it has exceeded capacity,â€� he said.

The same long-term vision should be utilized for other initiatives that get residents to leave their cars at home, Salvatore said, pointing to active transportation projects that will “enable us to build a more affordable community that places less tax burden on residents and enables us to support valuable services in our community.� He noted that while GCAT “understand(s) that some projects must wait to help reduce the amount of the levy increase,� tax dollars are still being used to subsidize on-street parking downtown.

“Supporting active modes (of transportation) also helps us to reduce the burden on household budgets.�

‘Spending way too much money’

While some came to city hall to stand in favour of various city initiatives, others said the city is spending too much.

“I think we’re just spending way too much money in öÏÓãÊÓƵapp,â€� Pat Fung told council, comparing the city’s expenditures with similarly sized Barrie.

“Taxes are contributing to the high cost of living in öÏÓãÊÓƵapp.â€�

For its 2023 spending plan, the City of Barrie budgeted for approximately $408 million in operational spending, while the City of öÏÓãÊÓƵapp budgeted for $509.15 million.

Dustin Davis, chair of the öÏÓãÊÓƵapp and District Association of REALTORS, said the city was being premature in budgeting for funds needed in light of provincial housing legislation that reduces the amount of money municipalities can collect from developers for new builds, with those funds directed toward infrastructure needed to support those new homes.

“This is still an evolving issue of which we don’t yet know the final impact,� he said, adding those expenses should be deferred until later this year, when he said it is expected the provincial government will announce the results of ongoing municipal audits.

“We think it’s preliminary to build such a large contingency into the budget until you have final direction from the province on whether you will be made whole.�

As previously reported by the Mercury Tribune, of the 10.32 per cent budget increase for 2024, approximately 3.7 per cent of that can be attributed to the financial impacts stemming from provincial housing legislation, dealing with homelessness and mental health issues and contributions to renovations at öÏÓãÊÓƵapp General Hospital.

City staff have the changes to what can be collected via development charges is expected to leave öÏÓãÊÓƵapp with a forecasted $227-million shortfall over the next decade.

Mayor Cam Guthrie earlier this month that should the Ford government reveal how it intends to reimburse municipalities for those lost funds, he would not wait until the next budget to remove those costs from the city’s property tax base and “would absolutely want to have those adjustments made immediately.�

The weeks ahead

City council is currently scheduled to vote on the 2024 budgets, as well as the 2025-2027 spending plans in principle, at its Nov. 29 meeting. That meeting is set to get underway at 9 a.m. in council chambers at city hall and will be streamed live online at .

Following a motion at its Nov. 7 meeting, city council will also be holding a workshop Nov. 22, starting at 6 p.m. That session is being dedicated to determining what options there are to lower the property tax hike. At the conclusion of Wednesday’s meeting, Guthrie said this will also be the time where members of council will publicly declare their intentions of what they would like to see added or removed from the budget.