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Writer's pictureAccountability Team
Nov 214 min read

Finance and Responsible Governance Committee – Wednesday, November 27, 2024, 4pm

Updated: 6 days ago

presenting the 2025 Business Plan and Budget, Deloitte's 2024 Audit Service Plan


Minutes: not yet available

Meeting Location: Council Chambers


All committee members present (Chair Harvey, Nuttall, Thomson, Kungl)

Also Present: Riepma, Nixon, Courser, Nigussie, Harris, Morales, Hamilton


🎤🙋 Open Delegations

  • Nil



🧑‍🏫📑 Presentations


🧐📊 2024 Audit Service Plan


💰📊 2025 Budget and Business Plan



↪️📥 Deferred / Referred Items

  • Nil



📝📑 Advisory Committee Reports


🇨🇦🇺🇳 International Relations Committee


💰↔️ Reserve Fund - International Relations Committee

  • Recommendation: Transfer $20,000 from the International Relations Committee Reserve fund to the 2024 International Relations Committee budget

  • APPROVED on consent


💰📈 Investment Board



📑🗂 Staff Reports


💰📊 2025 Business Plan and Budget - City Operations and Infrastructure Investment Funding Portions


💰📊 Operating Budget Approvals

  • Approve the 2025 tax-supported base operating budget for City Operations and the Infrastructure Investment Fund, with gross expenditures of $342.6M and a net property tax levy requirement of $197.8M

🚰🚛 City Operations and Infrastructure Investment Funding

  • Approve the 2025 budget request for City Operations, with a net tax supported municipal funding requirement of $197.8M (0% tax rate increase for operations, 2% increase for Infrastructure Investment Funding)

  • Approve the New Investment and Service Recommendations as outlined on p.20 of the Business Plan (no link provided) with a net cost of $1.9M (operating) and $74K (capital) and a net property tax levy requirement of $701K with additional funding of $41K from the water rate, $14K from the wastewater rate, $649K from capital projects and $454K from reserves (keeping in mind that the former CEO warned council repeatedly over the last few years that the reserves were being stretched and starved)

  • Approve the Water base Operating Budget with gross expenditures of $34.2M and revenues of $34.2M, and the proposed 2025 Water Rates as outlined in the Business Plan (no link provided)

  • Approve the Wastewater base Operating Budget, with gross expenditures of $46.5M and revenues of $46.5M, and the proposed 2025 Wastewater Rates as outlined in the Business Plan (no link provided)

  • Approve the Parking Operations base budget, with gross expenditures of $2.4M and gross revenues of $2.4M, and the proposed 2025 Parking Rates as outlined in the Business Plan (no link provided)

  • Exclude the following estimated expenses from the 2025 Business Plan:

    • Amortization Expense - $67.6M

    • Post-employment Benefit Expenses - $1.7M

    • Solid waste landfill closure and post-closure expenses - $500K

⚒️👍 Capital Budget Approvals

  • Approve the 2025 ($8.4M), 2026 ($37.6M), 2027 ($19.1M), 2028 ($26.7M) and 2029 ($42M) Capital Budget relating to new capital spending requests, with the following amendments to reflect changes brought forward after the budget binder was created:

    • Amend the Performing Arts Centre Redevelopment:

      • design the facility with a maximum total building cost of $65M in hard and soft construction costs for the building itself, including fit out of all seating and audio-visual components, to be funded from the Theatre Reserve

    • Add new sidewalks on Edgehill Drive east of Pringle Drive to connect to existing sidewalks - estimated cost of $975K, funded 60% from DC Reserves and 40% from the Tax Capital Reserve

    • Add Little Lake Boardwalk and Dock, $500K to be funded from the Tax Capital Reserve

    • Add Ferndale Lighting and Furniture Upgrades, $100K in 2025 funded from Tax Capital Reserve

    • Add Splash Pad - Peggy Hill CC, $50K in 2025 and $1.25M in 2026, funded from Tax Capital Reserve

  • Any Industrial Development Charge Discounts in 2025 to be funded by any year-end surplus, with any remaining balance funded from the appropriate capital reserve

🧑‍⚖️📑 Bylaw Update and Forecasts Received for Information

  • Repeal and replace Bylaw 2024-024 with a bylaw incorporating the fees and charges presented in the 2025 Business Plan, effective May 1, 2025

  • Receive operating forecast information for 2026-2028 presented in the 2025 Business Plan (no link provided)

💰👍 Reserve Approvals

  • Transfer $600K from the Vacation Reserve to the WSIB reserve to fund anticipated 2025 WSIB expenses

  • Establish an 'Automated Speed Enforcement Reserve' to be funded through net fine revenue collected (after offsetting costs associated with operating the program), to be used for Road Safety initiatives, as outlined in the Automated Speed Enforcement Program Update

  • Transfer $2,741,165.50 of the Building Faster Fund out of the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve and hold it as deferred grant revenue for Sophia Trunk Storm Sewers project, and amend funding for the project to include Province of Ontario Grant Funding (Building Faster Fund) of $2,741,165.50, with an offsetting reduction of Tax Capital Reserve funding

🧑‍💻🧑‍💼 Council and Staff Authorization Requests

  • Authorize the Executive Management Team to add temporary non-complement positions to the end of the budget year using existing approved funds to deal with any unforeseen circumstances that impact delivery of City Operations

  • Authorize the Executive Management Team to implement the economic adjustment for the Non-Union Group of employees (including full time, part time and students), effective January 1, 2025

  • Authorize staff to submit applications for grants that would reduce expenditures associated with projects, programs and services approved as part of the Operating and Capital Budget

  • Authorize two of either the Mayor, Clerk, Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer (or their designates) to execute any agreements that may be required to accept grant funding from other levels of government or other partners, to reduce expenditures associated with programs, services, and/or capital projects

  • Authorize staff to submit applications for grants that would reduce future capital expenditures, fund service enhancements, or enable capital projects to be advanced, and a report or memo be presented prior to the execution of any agreement associated with the acceptance of such grant

  • Authorize the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to make the necessary alterations to the transfer to and/or from reserves to reflect changes since the 2025 Business Plan's publication on November 20, 2024

  • Authorize the City Clerk to prepare all necessary bylaws to implement the above recommendations

  • HELD by Thomson (to allow presentation to go first)

  • APPROVED unanimously



💡🗣️ Items of Discussion

  • Nil



🫂🛠️ Community Project Submission(s)


🎨⌫ Graffiti Removal





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