Council to receive Budget Consultation report on March 15, 2022

Thank you to the 289 engaged participants who took part in our 2022 Budget Consultation. The City relies on ongoing input from the community to ensure we are balancing the delivery of services and programs with property taxes, fees, and charges. Your feedback is valued.

City staff will present a report at a March 15, 2022 Finance Committee Meeting (Item 3.2). The meeting starts at 5pm, and can be livestreamed on our website.

Key findings from the staff report include:

• More than 70% of respondents identified the following City services as very important:
  
  

1. Parks, trails, sports fields, and green spaces (development and maintenance) (77%)
2. Fire Rescue services (75%);
3. Garbage, green waste, recycling, and glass collection (72%).
4. Land use and development planning (70%)
   
   

• The services that were selected by the most respondents as “not important” are:
  
  

1. Heritage conservation (27%)
2. Arts and culture (e.g. artist grant program, community events, public art) (26%)
3. Library services (19%)
   
   

• 74% of survey respondents indicated that they received good (63%) or excellent (11%) value in relation to the taxes and utility fees that they pay.
  
  
• 49% of survey respondents wanted to maintain current service levels through a tax increase and 27% wanted to reduce service levels to keep the tax rate the same as last year.
  
  
• 48% of respondents wanted to leave subsidies and user fees the way they are (no change); however, 35% wanted to decrease subsidies so users pay more than they do now.