The yearly budget is the most challenging job for city council.
That’s according to Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma, after city council’s third budget meeting.
“It determines what we do and what we don’t do in our beautiful city.”
Going into the meeting, council was grappling with a proposed 5.9 per cent increase to the draft 2025 budget.
The mayor noted that about $80 million was collected from the tax levy in the last budget, with that figure set to jump to $87 million next year.
“That’s where the number of 5.9 per cent increase comes from. And we know…if we are trying to find a one percent saving on the tax levy, if we want to move that from 5.9 to 4.9 per cent, we have to find $900,000 of cost cutting somewhere.”
As part of the budget process, the city has hosted open houses at city hall and offered an online survey. New this year were two pop-up information sessions.
A procedural bylaw was suspended to allow individuals to make comments at Monday’s budget meeting.
City resident Mike Sullivan took that opportunity to address a line item on page 303 of the draft budget, which includes $1.9 million towards the ‘Grand Trunk’, a city-owned, 18-acre property in the downtown core that will be renewed.
A renewal committee is studying how to transform the site into a vibrant, focal point of the community.
Sullivan asked city council why there were no details presented about what the money would be used for and if the adhoc Grand Trunk renewal committee had asked for that amount.
“If I was a councillor I would want more information.”
Sullivan said he is not opposed to advancing the property, however, with no details tied to the money, it could be used for other things.
“We could build an awful lot of affordable housing for $1.9 million.”
Council had no questions for Sullivan at the conclusion of his address.
Ritsma said council has plenty more work ahead of them before the budget is finalized.
“In the end we are getting good feedback…but we have lots of work to do.”
Stratford City Council’s next regular council meeting is scheduled for Monday (Dec. 16) at 7 p.m.
