Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Budget Committee

Direct the Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer to prepare a report and by-law to amend the existing low income seniors property tax rebate program to a low income property tax rebate program providing a rebate of $575 with an income threshold for single, divorced, widowed of $50,000 or combined income for married or common law of $60,000, subject to a budget amendment being included in the Mayor’s budget.

Support the 2024 operating budget including any budget amendments approved by the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Budget Committee Nov. 21 and Nov. 23 to be applied against the proposed net tax levy amount of $242,884,206; and

Support the 2024 capital budget with a gross amount of $88,556,830, a debenture requirement of $6,900,000, and the 2025-2033 capital forecast with a gross amount of $859,123,570, and a debenture requirement of $24,950,000 as outlined in finance department report F-35-23 and

End the 30-day legislated period for Council review and amendments of the Mayor’s Proposed Budget released Oct. 30 at the conclusion of deliberations at the special council meeting of Nov. 28; Administer the debenture in the amount of $6,900,000 in 2024 as tax supported debt; and Incorporate the 2024 Financial Needs and Multi-year Forecast overview (F-35-23) and accompanying reference document into the Mayor’s 2024 Budget, as amended and noted; and Approve that any surplus or deficit resulting from a difference between the actual net assessment growth and the estimated 0.75% net assessment growth be transferred to/from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund; and Declare that, in accordance with sis. 5(1)5 of the Development Charges Act, 1997 and s. 5 of Ontario Regulation 82/98, it is council’s clear intention that the excess capacity provided by the above-referenced works will be paid for by future development charges.

Change the third paragraph of the main motion to: End the 30-day legislated period for Council review and amendments of the Mayor’s Proposed Budget released Oct. 30 at the conclusion of deliberations at the special council meeting of Nov. 28;

Approve the following minor wording changes to the first, second and third paragraphs of the main motion: Support the 2024 operating budget including any budget amendments approved by the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Budget Committee Nov. 21 and Nov. 23 to be applied against the proposed net tax levy amount of $243,400,298; and Support the 2024 capital budget with a gross amount of $88,556,830, a debenture requirement of $6,900,000, and the 2025-2033 capital forecast with a gross amount of $859,123,570, and a debenture requirement of $24,950,000 as outlined in finance department report F-35-23, as amended by the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Budget Committee of Nov. 21 and Nov. 23; and End the 30-day legislated period for Council review and amendments of the Mayor’s Proposed Budget released Oct. 30 at the conclusion of deliberations at the special council meeting of Nov. 28;

Amend the 2024 budget for the Conventional Transit Service to reflect a $238,000 increase in fare revenue, a $200,000 increase in advertising revenue and a $200,000 increase in diesel expenditures resulting in a net decrease to the 2024 budget of $238,000.

Remove the 1 By-law Licensing Clerk position (2024 - 027) resulting in a budget reduction of $92,940.

Increase budgeted by-law licensing revenues to fund the licensing clerk position accommodated in the 2024 Proposed Budget, thus taking $92,940 off the tax impact. Add the second licensing clerk position not currently accommodated in the 2024 Proposed Budget, also funded from increased licensing revenues, adding a further $92,940 to the projected licensing revenue budget, with no tax impact.

Defer item 3 to the end of the list, to be considered as item 55.

Defer item 4 to the end of the list, to be considered as item 56.

Remove 2024-022 – Expansion and Customer Experience in Community Gardens ($38,200) from the 2024 Budget and request that the Mayor consider inclusion of this item in the 2025 Budget.

Remove 2024-020 – Winter Maintenance – School Cross Walks ($88,000) from the 2024 Budget and request that the Mayor consider inclusion of this item in the 2025 Budget.

Remove the business case for Winter Maintenance – School Crosswalks (#2024-020) resulting in a budget reduction of $88,000.

Remove Urban Forestry Service Adjustment (# 2024-021) from the 2024 budget resulting in a reduction of $120,000.

Remove the provision to Innovation and Transformation Fund ($1M) from the 2024 Budget and reduce 2024-036 Permit and Application Streamlining by $1M.

Defer item 9 to the end of the list, to be considered as item 57.

Defer item 10 to the end of the list, to be considered as item 58.

Remove 2024-042 - Winter Maintenance-Expanded Parking Lots ($75,000) from the 2024 budget and request that the Mayor consider inclusion of this item in the 2025 budget.

Remove item Winter Maintenance Expanded Parking Lots (#2024- 042) from the 2024 budget resulting in a reduction of $75,000.

Reduce the total 2024 inflationary impacts identified in the 2024 budget from $2,784,000 to $1,464,000 resulting in a reduction of $1,320,000.

Reduce the dedicated infrastructure renewal levy funding in the 2024 budget by $1,000,000.

Reduce Skyway Arena Operating Costs from $646,000 to $ 215,332 for the 2024 Budget to reflect four (4) months operating costs vs twelve (12).

Defer item 15 to the end of the list, to be considered as item 59.

Add Solicitor – General Litigation, Municipal Law, Insurance Practice for $190,512 of which $50,000 will be recovered from the capital program.

Approve the Transportation Planning Staff (#2024-023) to be funded from Planning Application fees but defer the hiring of these positions until Planning Application volumes and associated revenues have recovered from current levels.

Add two additional Firefighters (item 2024-027) for $301,419 to the 2024 budget funded by reallocating dollars from overtime savings.

Reduce the Permit and Application Streamlining business case (#2024-036) by 50% to $1,140,000 and reduce the one-time funding accordingly in the 2024 budget.

Remove item # 2024-037 Planning Development Services Organization Design including the one-time funding of $100,000 from the 2024 budget.

Remove Performance Management Phase 1 (#2024-038) including the one-time funding of $100,000 from the 2024 budget.

Remove the One Brand project (#2024-039) including the one-time funding of $150,000 from the 2024 budget.

Remove Vision 2050 project (2024-040) including the one-time funding of $150,000 from the 2024 budget and request that staff complete the project using existing internal resources, citizen advisory committees and other stakeholders.

Redirect $50,000 of funding from the City Bench program in 2024 to the Infrastructure Renewal Reserve Fund and request that the Mayor consider inclusion of City Bench program in the 2025 Budget.

Add M365 Product Manager.

Add Manager of Experience Strategy and Design.

Add WorkDay/EAMS Training Coordinator.

Add Workday Analyst.

Add Application Analyst - Workday/EAMS.

Add Product Manager WorkDay.

Add Traffic Operations Student.

Add Analyst - Government Relations/Grants.

Add Operator - Recreation Services 4 PT roles converted to FT.

Add Transit Operations Supervisor.

Add Transit Maintenance Supervisor.

Add Web Designer - Corp Communications.

Add Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator.

Add Supervisor Customer Experience.

Add Forestry Operations Supervisor.

Add Technologist - Field Services.

Increased the Provision to the Strategic Land Acquisition Reserve Fund by $4.5M in the 2024 Budget.

Add a Seasonal Downtown Beautification Coordinator position with a total cost of $27,807.80 to the 2024 Budget.

Add Vision Zero / Active Transportation programming position ($124,129) to 2024 budget, subject to offsetting savings having been found through earlier approved 2024 budget reduction amendments to maintain tax rate at 4.99%

Increase funding for the new low income property tax rebate program by $300,000 and request that the Region of Halton continue to participate in the cost sharing of their portion of this program.

Amend the amendment with the following changes: Increase funding for the new low income Senior’s tax property tax rebate program from of $575 to $837, and to increase the City’s provision to support this program by $300,000 and request that the Region of Halton continue to participate in the cost sharing of their portion of this program, subject to offsetting savings having been found through earlier approved 2024 budget reduction amendments to maintain tax rate at 4.99%. Note: this amendment was

Amend the amendment with the following changes: Increase funding for the new low income Senior’s tax property tax rebate program from of $575 to $837, and to increase the City’s provision to support this program by $300,000 and request that the Region of Halton continue to participate in the cost sharing of their portion of this program, subject to offsetting savings having been found through earlier approved 2024 budget reduction amendments to maintain tax rate at 4.99%.

Remove 2024-028 – Community Planning Housing Initiative ($172,414) from the 2024 Budget and request that the Mayor consider inclusion of this item in the 2025 Budget.

Remove the Manager of Housing Strategy position (Community Planning Housing Initiative #2024-028) from the 2024 budget resulting in a reduction of $172,414.

Remove 2024-033 – Planner II – Community Initiatives ($130,906) from the 2024 Budget and request that the Mayor consider inclusion of this item in the 2025 Budget.

Remove the Planner 2 position (Targeted Realignment of Burlington’s Official Plan # 2024-033) from the 2024 budget resulting in a reduction of $130,906 and continue to retain this position as over-complement on a contract basis.

Reduce the 2024-035 – Burlington Lands Partnership item by the 1.75 FTEs ($250,000) in the 2024 Budget and request that the Mayor consider inclusion of this item in the 2025 Budget.

Reduce the Burlington Lands Partnership item (# 2024-035) from $450,000 to $225,000 in the 2024 budget. Request that $225,000 of the $238,000 of net savings identified in Transit from additional budgeted fare and shelter advertising revenues less increased diesel expenses be applied to support BLP.

Reduce the Multi-year Community Investment Plan Funding in the 2024 budget by $1,000,000, and Consideration of $2,200,000 in the 2025 Budget.

Receive and file the following sixty-six items, having been given due consideration by the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability - Budget Committee: