Monday, February 24, 2025
Home Blog

Our Values

2

A Better Burlington is Within our Grasp

The Burlington Residents’ Action Group (“BRAG”) is deeply committed to actively promoting certain policy initiatives that align with our overall goal of promoting a safe, secure and sustainable future for all residents.  To that end, we are committed to the following ideals:

Responsible Financial Management:

  • The actual tax increases in the last 3 years have been excessive, and we believe these were too high. Consequently, we are calling for the following:
    • A clear and transparent budget process that provides for line-by-line budgets that reflect where tax dollars are being spent;
    • Establishment and management of a website that accurately depicts actual spending year to date in relation to the approved budget;
    • Municipal tax increases should not exceed the rate of inflation;
    • Funding for emergencies and extraordinary expenses should be provided through the allocation of reserve monies or time-limited tax levies that expire once the problem has been corrected;
    • Elimination of vanity projects such as Love Your Neighbour, mundialization, the upcoming trip to Japan, drones and art for public buildings;
    • More stringent funding criteria for special events, social causes and not-for-profit organizations;
    • A three year hiring freeze;
    • Prioritization of the maintenance of existing physical assets over the tearing down and reconstruction of existing facilities.
  • We strongly maintain that Council should undertake more of an effort to reign in discretionary spending.

Flood Mitigation:

  • We support the development of a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy that focuses on better advance communication of impending severe climatic events, regular inspection and clearing of storm drains and creeks, upgrades to existing storm and wastewater systems, identification and opening of release catch basins in established neighbourhoods, and more direct interaction and consultation by city staff with homeowners impacted by the July 2024 flood.
  • We believe a proactive approach to flood mitigation will be more cost-effective for everyone. Existing infrastructure must be kept free of debris and improved where required.

Environmental Sustainability:

  • We maintain that there is a direct correlation between population intensification and environmental degradation.  To that end, we believe the city should reject further massive development projects such as Appleby/Fairview and 1200 King Road on the grounds that these projects present significant flooding risks and negatively impact the surrounding greenspaces.
  • We believe that positive measures to address climate change should focus on enhanced tree planting, broader use and application of permeable concrete, and widespread adoption of bioswales.
  • We believe the expenditure of public funds on environmental conferences, seminars and such is both wasteful and unnecessary. We know there is a climate emergency, and these public funds should be directed toward addressing the city’s carbon emissions and other issues under the city’s control.
  • We believe a paperless option for our tax bills and other communications from the city is long overdue.

Traffic Congestion:

  • We support better traffic light timing measures, and not just for buses. Traffic congestion has a direct impact on the quality of our lives and the climate.
  • We support the restoration of two-lane traffic in both directions on Appleby, Walkers and Guelph Lines south of New Street.
  • We believe the city should investigate bus cut-in or queue jump lanes on Fairview Street similar to what exists in Mississauga on Burnhamthorpe Road.
  • We support the restoration of two-lane traffic on Lakeshore Road west of Brant Street.  Do we want to add that the restaurant patios on Lakeshore Road should be eliminated – they already have large patios between their doors and the sidewalk, they don’t need to take a lane of roadway as well.
  • Other cities have strict rules against developers taking over lanes of roads and pedestrian sidewalks while building their condos for years. 
  • We believe that continued intensification without road widening will result in a grid-locked and unlivable city.

Development:

  • We believe that Burlington is essentially built out.  We believe that future growth in the housing inventory should be organic in nature.
  • We maintain that the city should actively promote the creation of affordable 2-and 3-bedroom properties by private developers. We believe that new developments throughout the city should be limited to eight storeys outside of the MTSA’s.  We support the move to build a variety of housing types including townhouses, bungalows, starter-sized homes, smaller duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes similar to what exists in communities such as Montreal. 
  • We believe that the creation of additional high-rise condominiums should be rejected on the grounds that this type of accommodation has significant negative impacts on nearby residents, and is also antithetical to the housing needs of new homebuyers.
  • We propose that the city should initiate a modular housing project such as the ones developed in Peterborough and the Region of Waterloo, to address the issue of homelessness.  The target should be 50 homes.
  • We believe that the city should admit that the target of 29,000 new housing starts for Burlington by 2030 is both unrealistic and unachievable. 

Stong Mayor Powers:

We believe the Strong Mayor Powers that were adopted by the Mayor in 2023 are antithetical to the principles of a fair and democratic government, as well as community engagement.  We believe this authority should be rescinded.

Community Engagement:

  • We believe that the city’s Charter of Engagement doesn’t need to be rewritten so much as it needs to be followed by council.  The current review of the engagement charter is taking an inordinate amount of time and money with three staff members working on this project for what is now two years and counting, multiple surveys, advertisements, public sessions, and continual delays.  We believe the Mayor and Councillors should proactively commit to following the principles of consultation, and to follow the Charter of Engagement going forward.
  • We believe the previous practice of semi-annual city-wide and monthly Ward Town Halls should be reinstated.
  • We do not consider having council members meet with members of the public – usually one-on-one – in food courts or other such places, to be proper engagement.  Council members should hold proper meetings in city facilities where the audience can hear all other attendees’ questions and the answers, and attendees do not feel like random customers in the mall are listening to what they have to say.  Meetings should have an agenda and an open question and answer period, and the council member should be accountable for the answers he or she provides to the group at large.
  • We believe that all engagement must include associated costs, including the cost of staff time.
  • We believe tax increases must be stated in terms of the Burlington portion of the tax bill and the overall impact on the total bill when combined with the Halton and Education. The council’s current practice of stating the “impact” is misleading and doesn’t match the actual increase that people are seeing on line 1, the municipal line, on their tax bills.

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

Petition on tax increases.

The city is asking for resident input for the 2025 budget without presenting an actual budget for our review.

If you go to the city engagment site and start the survey you’ll see this paragraph.

“As we plan this year’s budget, we’re facing inflation, much like our residents and local businesses. Our 2025 forecast predicts a total tax increase of 5.5%, with 1% for Halton Region services, 4.5% for Burlington services, and no change for education. The city’s tax increase is expected to slow down in the coming years as we reach a more sustainable financial position.”

The city is using this statement to pretend an 8.9%, Burlington-only, property tax increase is somehow 4.5%. When you put half the bill up by 8.9%, half of our tax bill goes to Burlington, the impact of this on the total bill is the 4.5% number the city wants us to think is their increase. The Halton increase will be in the 3% range but Halton is only 1/3 of our tax bill so using the same convoluted logic the city is saying that is a 1% increase.

The city has been talking about their tax increase in terms of the total bill since 2022 by using terms like “the impact of our increase” is 4.5%.

Here are the tax increases for the last three years.

The 8.04% proposed increase shown in the table above is the latest number from the city and is a reduction from the 8.9% staff requested in the financial “needs” and multi-year forecast document presented to our council in June of 2024.

Please consider signing this petition.

https://change.org/burlington2025

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

What will happen with a zero percent tax increase? “The sky will fall”.

0

Many Burlington residents are concerned with the high tax increases imposed by the current city council after the 2022 election. With the proposed 8.04% increase for 2025 taxes will have gone up 37.63% since the 2022 election. Several residents, including Lydia Thomas who delegated on this subject, say enough is enough. After a 15.59% increase in 2023 and a 10.21% increase in 2024, it is time for a 0% increase. Listen to the city manager, Hassaan Basit, explain that “we’ll get back into the sky is falling narrative”.

Based on Basit’s comments about the chicken and egg problem it sounds like our council has decided to build additional community center space to accommodate new residents moving into the city. Burlington’s housing pledge, to the province, is to build 29,000 new units by 2031. The question becomes, is it more fiscally responsible to use property taxes from the new residential units to build community centers or should our council continue to use property taxes from current residents?

Hassan Basit lives and pays property taxes in Milton.

Burlington Ward Map / Councillor Contacts

0

Use this map to find your councillor based on where you live. All councillors represent all residents. If your councillor is too busy to talk to you contact another one.

If you have a question or issue with a City service, please contact Service Burlington at city@burlington.ca or 905-335-7777 for assistance.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

Tel: 905-335-7777
mayor@burlington.ca


Ward 1Councillor Kelvin Galbraith
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7587
kelvin.galbraith@burlington.ca

Councillor’s Assistant
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7863
ward1@burlington.ca


Ward 2Councillor Lisa Kearns
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7588
lisa.kearns@burlington.ca

Councillor’s Assistant
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7368
ward2@burlington.ca


Ward 3Councillor Rory Nisan
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7459
rory.nisan@burlington.ca

Councillor’s Assistant
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7565
ward3@burlington.ca


Ward 4 – Councillor Shawna Stolte
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7531
shawna.stolte@burlington.ca

Councillor’s Assistant
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7512
ward4@burlington.ca


Ward 5 – Councillor Paul Sharman
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7591
paul.sharman@burlington.ca

Councillor’s Assistant
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7454
ward5@burlington.ca


Ward 6 – Councillor Angelo Bentivegna
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7592
angelo.bentivegna@burlington.ca

Councillor’s Assistant
Tel: 905-335-7777, ext. 7480
ward6@burlington.ca

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

Is Burlington’s Tax Bill Legal?

1

The most recent property tax bill, received by Burlington homeowners, businesses and landlords, has changed.

The city combined the police levy and the regional levy into one block titled “Region.” The bill is still blue to help with your mood when you look at it.

Civic Engagement

For a city that prides itself on engagement, there was no engagement on the tax bill changes. What do residents want to see on our tax bill? Burlington Hydro’s bill is a good example of an informative bill. Electricity is shown in one section, water in another, along with a grand total to pay, all combined with a billing history.

Burlington Hydro has a tree-saving option to have your bill emailed to you. Does our council understand that emailing bills is also a cost-saving measure? Other municipalities including Mississauga and Leamington have paperless billing options.

What’s missing?

Municipalities in Ontario are governed by the Ontario Municipal Act (OMA). The act is a set of laws, controlled by the province, that serve as a code of conduct for all municipalities in Ontario.

Here’s one of the gory details in the OMA:

“(2) Tax notices for properties classified in the residential property class, …  shall also include the information required under sections 10 to 14 with respect to tax changes, presented in the areas of Schedule 2 …”

I have a residential property, my bill “shall also include information required under sections 10 to 14”.

What is in sections 10 to 14?

The details are here https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/010075/v2

Our property tax bills need to include a Schedule 2 containing an “Explanation of Tax Changes”. Schedule 2 should show us last year’s amounts, this year’s amounts, and the differences, for the city, the region, and the Board of Education. The OMA stipulates the title must be “Schedule 2” and the property must be identified.

I don’t recall receiving a Schedule 2 with a Burlington tax bill, new style or old style.

Property tax revenue collected by the city for the city is up over 63% since the 2018 election. The province mandates that the bill show last year’s amount, this year’s amount and the amount of the increase. Burlington is not including the increase information on the tax bill.

What does Hamilton do?

The City of Hamilton website includes a sample schedule 2 showing the information required by the OMA.

The bill we just received is the “2025 Interim Tax Notice”. The amounts on this bill are roughly the same as the amounts on the June 2024 “Final” bill. We won’t see the city’s 7.51% increase, the region’s 6.2% increase, or education’s 0% increase (5.82% overall) until June of this year.

Using a fictional tax bill for exactly $1,000 this is what the various increases will look like on the June 2025 “Final” tax bill.

We now know the city can change the tax bill. Will Burlington’s 2025 final tax bill comply with the Ontario Municipal Act?


For more information on the tax bill click here: Why are property taxes in Burlington so complicated? | Burlington Residents’ Action Group

Here is another example of a property tax bill with a schedule 2 courtesy of Cavan Monaghan.

https://www.cavanmonaghan.net/en/live-here/understanding-your-property-tax-bill.aspx

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

Can We Talk?

1

Opinion

February 4th, 2025. This post was updated with the verbatim responses that were received on Tuesday February 4th to the questions posed of Mayor Marianne Meed Ward with all of Council copied. An analysis of the responses will be provided here shortly and will also be sent to the mayor and council for their review and subsequent input.

Feeling in a particularly prankish mood, I thought that it would be interesting to challenge our mayor, Marianne Meed Ward, to an informal debate. So, I accessed the “Invite the Mayor” request form on the city’s website and proceeded to fill it in.

It was never my intent to actually engage the mayor in this fashion but I just wanted to see what the response would be and in what form. There were enough clues in the request to indicate that it was probably not serious; the title of the event being “The Truth Will Out”, the date being April 1st, the venue being the BPAC and the expected audience being over 1000.

The purpose was boldly stated as “To challenge the mayor to an informal debate regarding quite contrary views of the performance and achievements of her administration”. I received an automated response almost immediately that summarized my request and informed me that I would receive an assessment within five business days. And then it came …. or more exactly, failed to arrive.

Although it was much as I expected, I was a little disappointed. Part of me – the part that always gets me into trouble – actually wanted the mayor to accept my challenge. The better part of me, however, was relieved. Although I personally believe that Marianne Meed Ward is a bad mayor and administrator, I have great respect for her skill in addressing criticism. When she is at her best, which due to necessity is often, she can deflect, twist and spin like few others I know. In debate, she would be a formidable opponent. She would probably leave me in the verbal dust. But, I would like to provide an overview of how I would have structured my side of the debate.

I had intended to ask our mayor a series of questions that might expose the reality hidden within or behind an ocean of favourable photo-ops and social media posts. They are direct and challenging – not the sort that she customarily receives when attending local news events. But they are fair – speaking to both her performance as mayor and known particulars of her time in office.

  1. Did you have the opportunity to reject Strong Mayor powers for the City of Burlington? If no, why not when other mayors appear to have done so?

The city’s response:

This issue has already been addressed on the Mayor’s webpage, per below.

https://mariannemeedward.ca/statement-from-burlington-mayor-meed-ward-on-
province-expanding-strong-mayor-powers-to-additional-municipalities/

https://mariannemeedward.ca/strong-mayor-powers-and-the-mayors-budget/

For further information, the City’s Legal division has provided the following response: The Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022 came into effect on November 23, 2022. That Act amended the Municipal Act, 2001 to include new sections 284.2 to 284.17 dealing with ‘Strong Mayor’ powers.  Regulations 530/22 and 580/22 were also enacted at that time.  O.Reg 530/22 lists the municipalities that have ‘Strong Mayor’ powers.  Upon enactment, only the City of Ottawa was identified as having these powers.  The City of Toronto derives its powers from the City of Toronto Act, not the Municipal Act, 2001. In March 2023, City of Burlington Council approved a resolution regarding Burlington’s Housing Pledge and sent confirmation of same to the Province.  In June 2023, the
Province announced that ‘Strong Mayor’ powers would be expanded to 26 additional municipalities that had already committed to a housing pledge for their respective municipalities.  Burlington had made a housing pledge and as such was included in the list of municipalities that were granted these powers.  The City, along with the other 25 municipalities added to the O.Reg 530/22, did not have to ‘opt in’ to ‘Strong Mayor’ powers.

There was no option to refuse the powers. 
The municipalities were simply added to the Regulation by the Province by virtue of the fact that they had made a housing pledge.  O.Reg 530/22 was amended to include these additional municipalities, effective July 1, 2023.
This can be contrasted with the Province’s announcement in August 2023, where it was announced that ‘Strong Mayor’ powers would be extended to 21 additional municipalities provided that their Heads of Council ‘opted in’ by committing to a municipal housing target for their respective municipalities.  On October 31, 2023, O.Reg 530/22 was amended to add an additional 18 municipalities to the list of those that have ‘Strong Mayor’ powers.  Three municipalities that were offered the powers at that time declined to identify a housing target and ‘opt in’.

Strong Mayors Act powers: municipal decision tracker – Open Council

2. Don’t the Deputy Mayor portfolios that you have created add an additional dimension of complexity to a job that is already very complex – some would say too complex – with the existing ward and regional responsibilities?

The city’s response:

The creation and rationale for the Deputy Mayor portfolios have already been addressed on the Mayor’s website per below:

https://mariannemeedward.ca/burlington-council-unanimously-approves-new-deputy-
mayor-portfolios-initiative-appointments-to-committees-boards/

To summarize, this is a unique model at the municipal level and will leverage the skills of this Council to work as a team on the issues and needs important to our city. The model was unanimously supported by council. See council minutes here:

https://burlingtonpublishing.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=98f96c2c-3fe6-4f10-
92e4-c7ab2c333908&Agenda=PostMinutes&lang=English

Regarding complexity of the role, this past December, Burlington Council reviewed its composition and was given the opportunity to vote on expanding the size of Council to, among other considerations, address workloads and responsibilities. Council voted unanimously to maintain its current size.

See council minutes here:

https://burlingtonpublishing.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=62797e89-2464-4153-a85c-4714b6c88569&Agenda=PostMinutes&lang=English

3. Why do you believe that citizens who delegate to council should not be allowed to pose questions of staff or council? Is a two-way exchange not a superior engagement model?

Procedure for council meetings, including the procedure for delegations, is set by the procedure bylaw, which has been in place for many years, dating before the Mayor’s time on council. The Procedure Bylaw is approved by all of Council. For reference, the bylaw is available here. The bylaw follows Roberts Rules of Order and the Westminster system where two-way exchange in formal Committee and Council meetings is available to staff and elected
members of the council. The purpose of delegations to Committee and Council meetings is for Council to listen
and hear input directly from the public before they begin deliberations on a matter before them.


There are many avenues for two-way exchange between members of the public and elected representatives including drops ins, town halls, meetings, and emailing your representative as you have done.

4. You have instituted an array of things that offer recognition and respect to the indigenous community and you participate in indigenous ceremonies, often using Spencer Smith Park as the venue. This is totally commendable but could you provide an idea of the size of the indigenous community in Burlington or Halton generally and could you identify measures or programs that you have initiated that actually improve the lives of this community?

The city’s response:

Measures related to supporting indigenous residents, as well as the census data for the indigenous population, have already been addressed on the Mayor’s website.

Initiatives:
https://mariannemeedward.ca/indigenous-community-in-burlington/
Population:
https://mariannemeedward.ca/burlington-has-largest-indigenous-population-in-halton-
region-2021-census/
For additional reference, the Mayor instituted the Indigenous Talking Circle to consult with indigenous residents about city measures and programs including but not limited to recognition, community space, programming and park development. Many of these are documented in the links. As additional initiatives unfold, please check
the Mayor’s website and social media for updates.

5. LaSalle Park – the City of Burlington actually leases this land from the City of Hamilton. That lease has expired. What have you done to get ownership transferred to Burlington and why is this not a first priority of your administration? Additionally why, very early in your first term in office, would you agree to fund a wave break for the private LaSalle Marina and take $4 million from the city’s hydro reserves to do so?

The city’s response:

Staff from Burlington’s Realty Services are discussing LaSalle Park ownership with city staff from Hamilton, and when there is an update, it will be shared with the community. Regarding the marina, Council voted to cover the upfront $4 million cost of the wavebreak, with the LaSalle Marina repaying $2.1 million to the city over time in annual licensing fees. The Mayor’s perspective on this community asset and support for a city contribution for half of the total amount of the wavebreak has already been shared publicly on her website per below:


https://mariannemeedward.ca/burlington-city-council-passes-recommendations-from-
july-8-and-11-committee-of-the-whole-meetings/

https://mariannemeedward.ca/burlington-committee-votes-to-finalize-agreement-with-
lasalle-park-marina-association-over-operation-of-marina/

https://mariannemeedward.ca/burlingtons-lasalle-park-community-marina-wave-break-
installation-begins/

6. Robert Bateman High School – would you agree that there was little actual public engagement prior to the purchase of this facility? Given the fact that the purchase and renovation/remediation cost estimates have more than doubled, from $50 million to over $100 million, that you have turned scarce green space into a parking lot and that the quantum of actual new space for the city is relatively small, do you still believe that this is a wise and fiscally responsible initiative?

The city’s response:

Staff from the city’s Communications department have provided the following detail regarding communications and engagement for the Robert Bateman Community Centre. Communication to the public began in June 2021, more than one year before the purchase of the building. The City’s engagement methods included:
 Get Involved Burlington webpage
 4 media releases
 11 public information sessions and workshops
 8 reports and Council updates
*Please see Appendix A for the full engagement list.
The staff report presented to Council and shared with the public in December 2022 provides cost projections and other project details. As noted on the table in the report, tenant revenue will be significant, as well as upper-level government funding. The new Robert Bateman Centre directly aligns with strategic priorities of the City:
 Increase economic prosperity and community responsive City growth;
 Support sustainable infrastructure and a resilient environment; and
 Building more citizen engagement, community health and culture.
The Mayor’s perspective on Robert Bateman and support for this new community centre plus tenants has been shared on her website in multiple postings including:

https://mariannemeedward.ca/community-vision-takes-shape-at-burlingtons-robert-
bateman-high-school-site/

https://mariannemeedward.ca/burlington-mayors-statement-on-city-of-burlington-
completing-deal-to-purchase-robert-bateman-high-school/

7. Do all city staff have performance contracts? If not, how do you measure performance, drive business priorities and incent appropriate behaviours? In the absence of a talent management process, how are incentives determined and corrective measures applied when necessary?

The Chief Administrative Officer has provided the following response:

The city has a robust performance evaluation process in place for 2025, providing all eligible non-union employees with individual performance reviews. Merit based increases are based on achieving goals set as a part of annual performance reviews.

8. In 2019 the Ford government decided to perform a regional operations review with the objective of consolidating programs and services at the regional level. This amalgamation was abandoned and the report has never been published. In 2024, the Ford government turned 180 degrees and is now talking about dissolving regional governments – returning consolidated programs and services to municipalities. This has already happened with Planning. You are in support of this direction.  Could you please say why it is important for each municipality to have discreet and separate common services like I&IT, websites, customer interfaces (Service Burlington), transit, policing, fire-fighting, purchasing, fleet management etc., etc.?

The City of Burlington provides services for the responsibilities it is mandated to in the Municipal Act. This includes planning, fire, transit, and transportation, such as roads. Supportive functions, such as websites, Service Burlington, or IT simply facilitate these legislated services. Please note police is a Regional service. The City of Burlington does not have its own police service. The City has joined buying collectives with the Region or other municipalities where it makes sense, including for example for electric buses. There have also been conversations at the Region about whether or not to make transit a regional service. Conversations about who does what are constantly evolving and changing, as they should. This includes some of the recent changes that have been made by the province that were, in many cases, requested or supported by municipalities. The Mayor’s perspective on Regional review and delivery of services, supported by majority votes of council, has been previously publicly addressed on her website including below:
https://mariannemeedward.ca/burlington-mayor-councillors-delegate-at-provinces-
standing-committee-for-regional-governance-review/

9. Here’s a sticky one – you have instituted strict procedures and policies to ensure that council and staff are treated respectfully during engagements with the public. You reinforce these ‘rules’ at every formal meeting with citizens, warning that unacceptable behaviour will be treated with immediate censure and potential long-term consequences. Why were these measures and warnings not needed before you took office?

There has been a longstanding commitment to respectful engagement with council, staff and the public that pre-dates the Mayor’s time on council, and has been advanced throughout her time as a councillor and now as Mayor.
The city’s Procedure Bylaw, approved by council as a whole, includes measures to encourage respectful dialogue. The link to the Procedure Bylaw is above. The bylaw predates the Mayor’s time on council and has been updated and amended by various councils. These expectations for respectful treatment are shared with the community at
the beginning of public meetings. The Council Code of Good Governance, instituted by the previous council in 2015, also includes provisions for respectful treatment of council and staff. Read more here:

https://mariannemeedward.ca/code-of-conduct-for-councillors-one-step-closer/

The Mayor introduced Commenting Guidelines as a councillor in 2016 to foster respectful dialogue on her social platforms and more broadly with her office and at public meetings. Read those here:


https://mariannemeedward.ca/mayor-meed-ward-online-community-commenting-
guidelines/

A key campaign commitment in 2018 was to ensure civil discourse and that continues to be a commitment.
Respectful, civil discourse has been made all the more difficult by the global rise in hateful rhetoric, uncivil discourse, misinformation and across social media platforms locally and around the world in some cases. This has sometimes escalated to threats of physical violence against elected officials generally and the Mayor in particular.
Elected officials across the country and here in Halton are leaving elected office due to toxic behaviour, online abuse, and/or threats of physical violence. Locally, MP Pam Damoff is one example but not the only one.
Against this local and global tide of misinformation, violent threats and incivility, the Mayor will continue to raise her voice for respectful dialogue and behaviour in service of democracy.

10. Do you think that the people of Burlington are better off today than they were six years ago when you took office? How have you improved their lives?

Please see the Mayor’s monthly newsletter, digital channels or annual State of the City addresses for the progress we have made together as council, staff and the community. Because of our work together, Burlington consistently ranks as a top city in Ontario and Canada to live. These achievements are not the work of one person, but rather an entire council team, staff, and the community. We have made great progress together, and will continue to do so.


So, my brainchild of a debate is stillborn and the questions remain unanswered – for the moment. I believe that my queries are reasonable, perhaps even important, and deserve a considered response, if not in the push/pull of engaged conversation then certainly in the much safer forum of the COB Communications regimen. Accordingly, I shall take the key to fortress Meed Ward that has been offered, request # 2025-01-12-003, and contact the mayor’s office directly.

All playful nudges and pokes aside, it is time that this mayor and this council be asked probing questions as a preliminary to the municipal election of 2026. The citizens of Burlington deserve as complete a perspective as possible on these seven individuals and their performance over two terms in office. If people believe that they merit another four years then it should be on something more substantive than name recognition.

Blair Smith is a lifelong resident of Burlington and was a member of Mayor Marianne Meed Ward’s campaign team in 2018.


The Bay Observer recently published this article https://bayobserver.ca/2024-year-in-review-strong-mayor-powers-divide-both-hamilton-and-burlington-councils/

Since the Strong Mayor Powers came into effect, the city had lost City Manager Tim Commisso, The City Treasurer announced her retirement, The City Clerk had left, and the head of Corporate Communications and Government Relations had been replaced. The triggering event for the council revolt came when it was learned that two senior female Executive Directors were no longer with the city. The split between the mayor and her council became more pronounced at year’s end over the 2025 Burlington budget. By a vote of 6 to 4 Burlington councillors refused to endorse the 2025 city operating budget, which passed anyway under strong mayor powers, and a motion to endorse the capital budget lost on a 3-3 tie. While both votes are largely symbolic given the passage of the budget is the purview of the mayor under Doug Ford’s strong mayor legislation, they underlined tensions between councillors and the mayor that have been simmering since the last term of council.

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

TIME TO DEMAND BETTER

2

Introduction

Another week, and another litany of stories from neighbours and friends who have been negatively impacted by auto theft.  In fact, there were three people this week I know whose vehicles were stolen.  It must be some kind of record.

Back in June of last year I attended a Crime Prevention meeting hosted by Councillor Stolte for Ward 4 residents concerned about the alarming increase in crime.  At the meeting, I heard the usual “song and dance” from Halton Regional Police Services about how to prevent theft.  Lock your car, put it in the garage, park in a highly visible location, use a theft deterrent device like a Club, etc., etc.

Despite all of these measures, the problem just keeps getting worse.  In an article in  Burlington Today recently Police Chief Steve Tanner lamented the fact that once perpetrators are arrested and charged they are released on bail.  As lamentable and annoying as that may be, it doesn’t really address the key question many residents have; namely, what are the police and municipal authorities doing to get a grip on this problem?

By the Numbers

Below is a screen shot highlighting the magnitude of the problem, posted on the Halton Regional Police Services website .  When I saw these numbers my jaw dropped.

https://www.haltonpolice.ca/en/staying-safe/auto-theft.aspx#By-The-Numbers

When I looked at the website for some concrete information on what the police are actually doing to manage this crisis, I saw words like “Education”, “Response”, “Social Development”, and “Partnerships”.  All very nice, but not immediately impactful.  Once again, HRPS is putting the onus on residents like you and I to rectify the problem.

One thing Halton Police Services has on its website is an interesting crime map that shows where all the auto thefts are taking place.  Here’s the link:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/e2d6a32212ba438da4144ea42dfccaf9

If you click on the + button on the map it will show a breakdown by neighbourhood of where the “hot spots” for car thefts are.  While there is general dispersal throughout Halton Region when it comes to auto thefts when you look at Burlington two things become apparent.  The first is, there that there are a lot of car thefts in Roseland and the Alton communities.  The second is that residential neighbourhoods aren’t the only ones experiencing thefts. There are vehicles being poached from parking lots and businesses along Fairview and Mainway too.

How does Halton Region compare provincially?  According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, not particularly well.

https://www.ibc.ca/news-insights/news/insurance-bureau-of-canada-reveals-ontario-s-top-10-costliest-cities-for-auto-theft-claims

In actual dollar costs, Oakville ranked number seventh in 2023 in auto theft claims costs.  When one examines the increase in auto theft claims and costs between 2018 and 2023 Milton ranked third, and Oakville ranked fifth.  To their credit, IBC acknowledged that the issue is a “national emergency”, and extolled the federal government’s National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft.

Time for Some Local Initiatives

When we heard the term “auto theft”, many of us probably thought about a group of kids hot-wiring Uncle Fred’s 2006 Dodge Caravan, taking it for a joy ride, and ditching it in a parking lot a couple of kilometres away. Not anymore.  What is going on today is a complex and sophisticated operation by organized criminals to steal high end vehicles, and ship them overseas to countries like Nigeria and Ghana where they command a premium price. These people know exactly the type of vehicles they want, and they are engaging in sophisticated measures to steal them.  In some cases, they are resorting to violence to take possession.

The impact that auto theft has on families can be devastating.  There is the time taken up by  reporting the theft, and the investigation that is involved.  Dealing with insurance companies can be laborious and frustrating.  Arranging for alternate transportation can be expensive.  Then there is the hassle of waiting for a claim to be settled, and then arranging to purchase a new vehicle.

People are now going to extreme lengths to protect their vehicles.  One neighbourhood in Toronto recently hired a security firm to patrol their street.  I read of one resident who installed retractable bollards on his driveway so that thieves couldn’t steal his high-end sports car. Some are using steering wheel locks, and others are resorting to sophisticated “kill switches” and electronic immobilizers installed on their cars.  The price of some of these deterrents can range upwards of $400.

Moreover, this isn’t just an issue about automobile theft.  Increasingly, the theft of automobiles is occurring after there has been a home invasion.  One such incident occurred in Burlington on November 7th of last year:

https://www.burlingtontoday.com/police-beat/pair-of-teens-arrested-for-vehicle-theft-assault-in-home-invasion-9788553

The two alleged perpetrators, neither of whom lived in Halton Region, were charged with a list of crimes.  Possession of property obtained by crime in excess of $5,000 was, sadly, the least of their suspected offences.

It’s great that we live in a country where individual citizens still can and do take personal responsibility to safeguard their property.  However, my question is this:  aside from complaining about the criminal bail system in Canada, which is actually a federal responsibility, what exactly are our local police doing?

For instance:

  • Are we using drone technology to conduct aerial surveillance of neighbourhoods at night?  Real estate agents now use drones to take aerial pictures of homes for clients. The price of drones has decreased in recent years, unlike the budget for HRPS which went up 9.5% in 2024, and is going up another 14.3% in 2025.
  • The police use RIDE programs and spot checks around Christmas time to identify intoxicated drivers.  Are we deploying this measure across the Region in the morning?  People who are out between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. aren’t likely going to or leaving for work, taking the kids to soccer practice, or shopping at Costco.
  • Are we using decoy vehicles equipped with tracking devices to catch thieves?
  • Most newer vehicles operate through a key fob.  We know that thieves are gaining access to vehicles by cloning electronic keys to intercept the radio signal using a scanner. The key emits a signal to lock and unlock car doors or start the engine. Electronic key cloning devices save the radio signal in their memories.  This level of sophistication presupposes access to certain technologies.  Who is selling the scanners and, more importantly, who is buying them?
  • It has been reported that individuals working in car dealers are supplying thieves with vehicle identification numbers (i.e. VIN’s).  This begs the following questions: 1) who, at car dealerships, has access to this information? 2) what control measures have been instituted to safeguard and protect client information and preserve identities? 3) are people working at automobile dealerships required to undergo criminal reference checks prior to being hired?
  • We know that the majority of perpetrators of these crimes live in Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga.  These crimes often occur early in the morning.  Most of these perpetrators need to travel in vehicles to get to Oakville and Burlington. Are we using scanners to track license plates and determine who, exactly, is entering our communities early in the morning?

Conclusion

Let’s be clear.  Auto theft in Halton Region is a crisis.  A serious problem warrants a serious response.  Lamenting the state of federal legislation on bail reform isn’t going to curb the problem in the short-term. Moreover, those affected by the theft of property don’t need to be “educated” on what to do around auto theft deterrence.  Rather, what we need is a comprehensive, drastic and immediate response from the police at the local level.  Just because the federal government has launched a joint initiative to combat auto theft nationwide doesn’t preclude local officials from initiating their own measures.

Furthermore, what is Council’s response to all of this? It was great that the Mayor showed up at Councillor Stolte’s meeting to lend moral encouragement, but in truth, what I really want to see are some creative solutions to address the problem, and pressuring HRPS to take more proactive measures. Photo opportunities are nice, but they don’t solve problems, and auto theft in Burlington is a major problem. 

Finally, the Halton Regional Police Services tell us they are working hard on this issue.  Again, that’s nice, but in truth, everyone works hard.  I work hard.  My neighbours work hard. My colleagues at BRAG work hard.  You, the readers, probably work hard.  What I really want to see is the police working effectively.  A 70% increase in auto thefts between 2021 and 2022 in Halton, followed by another nearly 31% increase between 2022 and 2023, doesn’t suggest to me that we have this problem under control.  In fact, quite the opposite.

I remember that line Councillor Stolte used during her 2018 campaign when she first ran for Councillor.  Oh yes:  Demand better.  I agree.  It’s time to demand better!

Enough with the damned excuses!  Let’s see some results.

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

HOW BAD ARE BURLINGTON DRIVERS?  PRETTY BAD APPARENTLY!

1

While watching CHCH News recently a news report caught my attention. A study conducted by MyChoice, an insurance industry research intermediary, published a list of the safest and most dangerous cities in Ontario in which to drive. According to this study, topping the list of safest cities were Toronto and its neighbouring boroughs, as well as Whitby. The worst were Brantford and Kingston, followed closely by Burlington.

This study was based on 150,000 insurance claims filed since 2020. The researchers created an index from 0 to 5 to rate different communities based on the weighted averages of accidents and infractions. Evidently, the higher the score the safer the community and the lesser the risk.  Toronto scored 4.5. Whitby scored 4.2.  Brantford and Kingston scored 0.7.  Burlington scored 0.8.

https://www.mychoice.ca/blog/top-10-safest-dangerous-cities-for-driving-ontario-2024

It Gets Worse

As I started probing into this study some other alarming statistics surfaced. 11.24% of Burlington drivers have some infraction on their driving record, which places us in the middle of the list. However, what I found really shocking was the percentage of drivers with some kind of accident on their record which, in Burlington’s case, was 15.06%, second worst only to Kingston.

No substantive reasons were given as to why Burlington, Brantford and Kingston fared so poorly.  The CEO of MyChoice suggested it may have something to do with drivers not equipping their cars with snow tires.  While there may be some validity to that claim, I would suggest there are several other factors at play.

Some Theories

  1. Lack of Defensive Driving.  Since the pandemic, many safe driving techniques that we were once taught have all but been forgotten.  Notions such as keeping one car length distance behind the driver ahead for every ten kilometres of speed don’t resonate.  Advice not to text and drive is routinely ignored.  Yielding to pedestrians, signalling turns, and checking your blind spot when passing, have all but been forgotten.
  • Faster and Bigger Cars:  Forty years ago the average vehicle up my street would have been a Honda Civic.  Twenty years ago it was probably a Dodge Caravan.  Ten years ago it was likely a Hyundai Santa Fe. Today, more often than not, it is probably a 3 or 5-series BMW.

Since the pandemic, the availability of new cars has been in short supply. Waiting six to nine months for delivery is frustrating for many drivers.  Many have opted for used cars, and since vehicles like BMWs and Audis depreciate sharply after four years, these have suddenly become an attractive purchase option.  It used to be that I would rarely see a high-end German vehicle driven by a neighbour.  Today, they are the new norm. That 1985 Honda Civic my neighbours might have driven had about 85 horsepower. By contrast, the horsepower of a 3-series BMW varies from 255 to 386.

  • Road Rage.  Faster cars often translate into faster speeds.  People like to get where they are going in a hurry.  Waiting means lost time.  No one is patient any more. The very thought of following behind another driver who is doing the speed limit infuriates many.

Impatience is followed by anger, and anger is followed by risk-taking.  Every day I see drivers run red lights, pass on two-lane streets where no passing is permitted, or barrel through crosswalks feet away from pedestrians.  The latest manoeuvre is drivers who, on an advance green, will use it as an opportunity to make a U-turn in the middle of the intersection.

  • Truck Traffic Increase. Since the pandemic, it seems like there are more and more delivery vans on the roads. Just about everyone is buying online, it seems.  Add to that a significant increase in home renovations and the attendant contractors, delivery trucks, dump trucks, concrete mixers, etc., and it adds noticeably to traffic congestion.
  • Vehicular Congestion.  I spend a lot of time in communities such as Mississauga, Oakville, St. Catharines, Sarnia, Stratford, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Simcoe and London.  Any of these places has a better road transportation network than Burlington.

Part of the challenge here is the traffic volume.  Everyone agrees it has increased massively in the past five years.  Appleby Line is horrible and getting worse.  Traffic on Harvester during rush hour is the very definition of congestion.  The lack of traffic light synchronization, which many of us have been railing against for years, shows no signs of improvement.

When it comes to traffic, Burlington’s plan for growth is more transit and bike lanes. “The fundamental assumption that underpinned the philosophy of our IMP was the directive from council that there were to be no new road widenings for the sole purpose of adding additional auto capacity.”

Where other communities beat Burlington is in their improvements to existing roads.  Burnhamthorpe Road in Mississauga, as well as Upper Middle Road in Oakville, are in the process of receiving major upgrades to pavement, lighting and traffic signalling.  Sorry, but I’m not seeing it in Burlington, unless you count the Plains Road project last year which, in truth, probably benefitted cyclists more than drivers. The city has plans to add dedicated bus lanes to Plains Road. Why weren’t more traffic lanes added during this expansion?

Burlington’s Integrated Mobility Plan calls for “Developing a spine network of high-quality cycling facilities designed to serve cyclists of all ages and abilities by building new and improving existing cycling infrastructure.”

I teach at Sheridan’s HMC campus in Mississauga next to Square One. I drive through residential streets in Oakville and Mississauga to get there.  It takes me 55 minutes to drive 36 kilometres in rush hour traffic. When I taught at McMaster’s downtown Hamilton campus I used to drive along Lakeshore and North Shore Boulevard, up King Road, along Plains Road and along York Boulevard into downtown Hamilton. The distance was 21 kilometres.  Heading westbound most evenings, also during rush hour, took me nearly an hour and a half.  Only ten minutes of that time was spent driving in Hamilton.

  • No Police Presence Means No Enforcement.  Although I live in East Burlington I spend a lot of time in Oakville.  I am astonished at the differences in the level of police presence between these two communities.

Case in point:  on my weekly commute into Sheridan police are regularly visible on Upper Middle Road, Ford Drive, the William Horton Parkway, and Rebecca Street.  However, I don’t see a highly visible police presence in my neighbourhood.  Never.  I’m not sure where they are on patrol, but it certainly isn’t in the Elizabeth Gardens neighbourhood.

Which goes to my point: you can’t enforce what you can’t see, and if you aren’t around there’s a lot to miss, particularly bad driving.

A Tale of Two Cities

Oakville, which isn’t listed on MyChoice’s list of unsafe communities, is rolling out an aggressive program of automated speed enforcement.  The 14 ASE cameras will be rotated through various community safety zones, and is estimated to bring in $2.73 million annually.  Each of the city’s seven wards will have two cameras.

Burlington supposedly has a program in place, but with only six cameras.  The program purportedly will bring in an estimated $3.7 million in total revenue once fully operational.

https://www.insidehalton.com/news/council/burlington-now-looking-to-double-number-of-photo-radar-cameras-and-the-number-of-tickets/article_dd6c4803-84fa-5c5a-ba3f-2a0635fac4a2.html

Which begs the question:  why does Oakville have nearly twice as many ASE cameras as Burlington if the two communities have similar populations?

Related to road safety is pedestrian safety.  Oakville has implemented new pedestrian crosswalks with flashing beacons. You see them throughout the downtown core, as well as opposite the Bronte Athletic Field.  They are hard to miss.

I’ve seen only one of these beacon sidewalks in Burlington opposite Central Library.  Ironic, isn’t it, that we can somehow find monies to paint sidewalks with rainbow colours, most of which aren’t highly visible at night or during inclement weather, but we can’t provide decent signage to promote improved pedestrian safety.

A literal transit auto collision. Buses can’t move because of traffic, traffic can’t move because of the traffic lights Thanks to Michelle for this photo.

Conclusion

Being labelled one of the most dangerous cities in Ontario in which to drive isn’t something to be proud of.  If anything, it should serve as a wake-up call for Burlington City Council, along with Halton Regional Police Services, to jointly re-examine what measures can be undertaken to address this situation.

There are a number of initiatives the city can and should be exploring to both minimize the impact of traffic volume and improve road safety.  Some of these include:

  • Working with the province to improve the flow of traffic on the QEW. Every evening there is a standing traffic jam heading west that starts in the mid-afternoon.  This problem has continued for decades, but progress has been minimal.
  • Turn the north and south service roads into alternates to manage traffic when there is an accident on the QEW and particularly, the Burlington Skyway.  Time the lights west-east in the morning and east-west in the afternoon.
  • Traffic flow from and to Highway 407 on Appleby is now a major issue. Sequence the lights towards the 407 in the morning, and away from the 407 in the evening.

Certainly, there is no shortage of good ideas.  However, I suspect it is more politically fortuitous to keep extolling Burlington’s status as the “Best Medium Sized City in which to live” than to posit constructive measures to resolve real problems with potentially serious consequences.

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

Gaslighting is Alive and Well at City Hall

3

Introduction

The consultations have ended, the delegations have finished, the decisions have been reached, and the verdict is: a 7.51% tax increase to existing Burlington home and business owners. The overall increase to our tax bill will be 5.82%.

If memory serves back when this process started the city was talking about 3.79%. How we ended up with 5.82% is still a mystery. Along the way, the city kicked out different numbers and estimates with such regularity that most of us were left totally befuddled.

BRAG repeatedly railed against what we felt were a number of inappropriate and unnecessary expenses. We even put together a 14-page report with a number of constructive proposals and changes that could and should have warranted a serious investigation. When BRAG’s President, Eric Stern, challenged both the city’s calculations and the reluctance to look at changes, he was taken to task for being disrespectful.

Give credit where credit is due. The city’s communication strategy around this budget was masterful and nothing short of brilliant. They leveraged every social media channel and media forum to get their story out. It left many of us scratching our heads in disbelief, and wondering if we were living in an alternate universe. Don’t kid yourself though. This wasn’t an accident.

The Time Honoured Art of Gaslighting

What the city was engaged in was gaslighting, pure and simple. What is gaslighting you may ask? Simply it is a ploy in which one person or entity engages in various actions that would lead another to question their sanity and mental fitness. The term was popularized in the 1940s in a movie of the same name. In the film, a husband employs many different acts to isolate his wife, an heiress, and eventually steal from her. It’s an excellent film, so I won’t spoil the plot for you.

The movie is available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYmtzaHwCKo

One of the critical elements in gaslighting is an imbalance in the power dynamic, sort of like the difference between individual citizens and a corporation not dissimilar to the City of Burlington. Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia I thought was very revealing:

“Gaslighting involves two parties: the “gaslighter”, who persistently puts forth a false narrative in order to manipulate, and the “gaslighted”, who struggles to maintain their individual autonomy. Gaslighting is typically effective only when there is an unequal power dynamic or when the gaslighted has shown respect to the gaslighter.”

Not surprisingly, gaslighting is very prevalent in our modern political structure. Read this interpretation on the interrelationship between communications and politics in our society:

“In the 2008 book State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind, the authors contend that the prevalence of gaslighting in American politics began with the age of modern communications:

To say gaslighting was started by… any extant group is not simply wrong, it also misses an important point. Gaslighting comes directly from blending modern communications, marketing, and advertising techniques with long-standing methods of propaganda. They were simply waiting to be discovered by those with sufficient ambition and psychological makeup to use them.”

Finally, Wikipedia offers an extremely telling evaluation of some of the harmful effects of gaslighting:

Gaslighting is a way to control the moment, stop conflict, ease anxiety, and feel in control. However, it often deflects responsibility and tears down the other person. Some may gaslight their partners by denying events, including personal violence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting

An Interesting Metaphor

Here’s an example of how gaslighting might occur in another setting. Assume we have a family of four:  a husband, a wife, and two children. Assume the wife is an excellent cook. She bakes an apple pie, her husband’s favourite. After dinner, she serves the pie. Everyone has a piece, and there is some leftover which she puts in the fridge. In the night the husband comes downstairs and raids the refrigerator hoping to have a piece of pie. There is none there. The next morning he asks who ate the pie. His wife tells him he ate the last slice while watching the football game. He denies this occurred. The kids deny having eaten the pie too.

That day his wife bakes another pie, this time pecan. The wife, the husband, and the two children all have a piece of pie after dinner. There is some leftover. His wife puts the remaining pie in the refrigerator. Before going to bed the husband looks in the refrigerator. The leftover pie is still there. In the night he comes downstairs for a piece of pie. There is no pie in the fridge. There is only an empty pie dish in the sink. The next morning he asks his wife if she ate the pie. She said no. Ditto the kids. Again, his wife insinuates that the husband ate the pie, which he categorically denies.

That night his wife bakes a cherry pie. At dinner, everyone has a piece. Again, there is some leftover which his wife puts in the fridge. Before going to bed the husband who, by now, is deeply suspicious, checks the fridge to ensure the pie is still there. It is. However, rather than going upstairs to bed, he decides to sleep in the living room next to the refrigerator in the kitchen. In the night he hears the refrigerator door open. He leaps up from the couch, rushes into the kitchen, and confronts one of his kids who is holding the pie. “I don’t mind you eating pie” says the husband, “but when I asked who ate it why did you deny it”?  The kid replies “Well, it wasn’t really a meal, but a snack, and besides, no one else wanted any and I didn’t think anyone would notice”.

A Time for Reflection

My little metaphor highlights an important truth about gaslighting. You can fabricate an alternate reality, conjure up different interpretations, adjust the facts and events to suit your assessment of a situation, try to persuade others they are “losing it”, and then, when all else fails, offer up a lame excuse for your actions and behaviour.

The problem though is that, in the end, reality and truth will ultimately prevail. For instance, when I look at my tax bill next year, I’ll bet the increase is a lot more than the 3.79% the city started with. As a community, we are still paying for a lot of things (e.g. Love Your Neighbour program; Service Burlington; etc.) that offer marginal value and limited utility. And, despite hearing words like “engagement” and “consultation” the City of Burlington isn’t really listening, and, if truth be known, they really don’t give a damn either. How else can one explain the dismissive response to BRAG’s 14-page report on recommended changes and improvements?

In summary, like the husband in my little metaphor, it wasn’t Eric Stern who ate the pie, and it wasn’t BRAG who offered contradictory and confusing messaging throughout the budget review process. Going forward, BRAG isn’t going to settle for excuses, or stop looking for improvements, and certainly not because the delicate sensibilities of one Councillor were offended. Rather, we’ll be sleeping right next to the refrigerator watching carefully to see who actually takes the pie.


Here are two examples of our council interacting with city staff over the tax increase:

Ann Marie Coulson – Manager, Financial Planning and Tax – explains how a resident might calculate a tax increase. For information on how to calculate the tax increases using your bills visit: How do I … | Burlington Residents’ Action Group

Watch Craig Millar, Burlington’s CFO, describe a 7.5% tax increase as 3.79% in response to a question from Councillor Sharman. The city web page showing the increase is included at the end of the video. When you combine Burlington’s operating and capital budgets Craig Millar is the CFO of an organization that spends close to $500 Million a year.


Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

BRAG about Burlington – Newsletter #3

0

Twas a month before Christmas, and all through city hall
Residents asked for straight answers but there were curve balls for all
The budget was final, the numbers were in
We’ll try to explain them, but where to begin?

Property Taxes
On December 11th our Regional Council voted on and finalized the Police Services Budget and the Halton Region Budget. All the components of our overall tax bill have their increases locked in.

Here are the Burlington facts: 
8.3% – the total increase in tax revenue from new and existing home and business owners.
7.51% – the tax increase to existing home and business owners.
5.82% – the overall increase on our tax bill.
5.5% – the increase to water and wastewater charges, billed separately by the Region of Halton.

Wondering what happened to the 4.97% number read more here: Why are taxes in Burlington so complicated? Watch the YouTube video of our CFO, Craig Millar, explaining the “impact of the budget for Burlington’s share will be 3.79%”.

Budget Issues Update
The BRAG budget group consists of members of our BRAG team as well as several community members who have volunteered to assist. BRAG presented the council with a 14-page document highlighting 25 areas of concern that our group found with the 2025 budget. We’re working on the responses and continuing this work. If you’re interested in joining the budget group please click here to contact us.

BRAG is also busy reviewing the entire budget process from this year and planning our strategy around next year’s budget. We have discussed the fact that responding to the city on their timelines was not very effective. Next year, we are planning a different strategy, and we will be asking for public input long before the budget talks at the city begin. Please stay tuned for more information to come in the new year.

Tax Petition Update
Thank you to everyone who signed the petition for a zero percent increase. With the 7.51% increase for 2025, Burlington property taxes will have increased 36.97% since the election in 2022. We ended up with 1,248 signatures. The council acknowledged receipt of the petition.

The purpose of this, or any, petition is not simply to have the petition “acknowledged” (yet this seems to be the practice here in Burlington).  We feel this is another example of the disconnect between council asking for resident feedback versus what they do with it when they get it.

You can read the full delegation here: Tax Petition is presented to council “oh well”.

Bateman Community Centre
The Bay Observer lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman about the city’s communication with the public regarding the Bateman Community Centre project. It reads, in part: “I submit that the city engaged in deliberate obfuscation of the financial scope of the project, as they engaged in public consultation. Indeed, those members of the public who participated in surveys and town halls had no idea for what they were actually providing buy-in, making the public consultation piece a sham.”  

We’ve included a timeline on the Bateman project and a link to the full Bay Observer article, published on December 4th, 2024, click here to read more.

Civic Engagement
This year’s budget engagement and the city’s process with Bateman are examples of how things work or don’t work with respect to engagement in Burlington. Lynn Crosby took the council to task on this issue; this delegation is well-researched and worth the read (and Lynn didn’t write this line): Click here to read Lynn’s delegation.

Stephen White recently wrote about engagement in the Burlington Gazette:

As always, thank you for the ongoing support, and thank you for reading our newsletter.  Please share it with friends and family, keep visiting our website as we update it regularly, and contact us with your thoughts.  We’d love to hear from you.  

We wish you all a healthy and happy holiday!

The BRAG Team

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

Why are property taxes in Burlington so complicated?

0

Let’s start with the bill from the city. The tax bill has four components, each managed by a separate level of government or board.

Code on the tax billMeaningResponsibility
M-MunicipalCity of BurlingtonMayor and council
R-RegionHalton RegionRegional Chair and council
P-PoliceHalton Police ServicesHalton Police Board
E-EdBoard of EducationProvince of Ontario

Getting four bills would make everyone’s life more complicated and make issuing and collecting the bills more expensive. The one-bill approach makes sense from an efficiency point of view.

Next, we have to talk about new assessments. The term “new assessments” refers to new tax money paid by new homes, condos, and businesses. A farmer’s field, in Milton, becomes a new subdivision, and the tax revenue Milton collects from the land increases. In Burlington, total tax revenue is increasing by 8.3% but, after factoring in new assessments, existing homeowners will see a tax increase of 7.51%. Predicting when a new condo will be finished is difficult so the city uses the “Tax Rate Stabilization” reserve fund as a buffer. If more new assessments or taxpayers come on stream in 2025 the extra money will flow into the reserve fund, and with fewer new assessments money will flow out of the reserve fund.

On December 11th, 2024, the Region finalized their tax increase and the Halton Police tax increase, all the numbers are in and here is how it looks.

WhoTotal tax revenue increaseIncrease to existing taxpayers (after new assessments)
Burlington8.3%7.51%
Halton Region4.1%2.3%
Police Services14.3%12.30%
Education0%0%

Now that everything has been finalized and using a sample tax bill this is what the increase is. The 2024 actual numbers on your bill or your landlord’s bill will be different but the percentage increases will be the same.

Burlington Facts:

8.3% – the total increase in tax revenue from new and existing home and business owners.

7.51% – the tax increase to existing home and business owners.

5.82% – the overall increase on our tax bill.

5.5% – the increase to water and Wastewater charges, billed separately by the Region of Halton.

How does Craig Millar, our CFO, calculate 3.79%?

During the November 25th, 2024 council meeting, Councillor Sharman asked Millar what the tax increase was. With a complex answer, Millar stated 3.79%. If you make a mathematical assumption that the region, police, and board of education do not increase their taxes at all you can calculate 3.79%.

This is a curious way to present what was at the time a 7.5% property tax increase.

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!

The Bay Observer questions how council handled the Bateman community centre.

0

Here’s a quick history of this project.

2017 – the Board of Education considers closing two high schools in Burlington.

2020 – June 30 – Bateman High School closes.

2021 – June – The school board declared Bateman as surplus. 

2021 – June 23 – Burlington issues a press release: 

City of Burlington to submit expression of interest to purchase surplus Bateman High School site; partner with Brock University – City of Burlington

2021 – December 14 – Council approved $3 million for a preliminary design (report EICS 20-21).

There was no mention of a total project cost at that time. The 2021 Engagement Matters report stated: “Preliminary engagement has occurred with key stakeholders and partners. As part of the scope of work outlined in the RFP, a public engagement plan will be developed and delivered in the future as a fundamental component of the environmental, preliminary design, and architectural and engineering services.”

The city did not present a public engagement plan until after the contract for Phase One was issued.

2022 – April – Councilor Shawna Stolte is sanctioned for stating, in late 2021, “the reality is that the final cost will be well above $50M.” Councilor Stolte lost a week’s pay, she did break the rules, but she was also being honest with the public.

2022 – May – Burlington starts public engagement on the Bateman project without presenting costs or the need for additional parking. The video is available here: https://www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/bateman-highschool/widgets/149117/videos/10649

2022 – October 26th – Municipal elections are held across Ontario and our mayor and councilors are re-elected.

2022 – November 22 – The city announces a land swap, plus $7.9 million, with the Board of Education and Burlington acquires the Bateman property. https://www.burlington.ca/en/news/city-of-burlington-completes-deal-to-purchase-robert-bateman-high-school.aspx

2022 – November 25 – The city announces the cost is now over $72 million. https://www.burlington.ca/en/news/redesign-adaptive-re-use-and-costing-plan-proposed-for-former-robert-bateman-high-school-building.aspx

While there are many unusual aspects to the Bateman project one that stands out is that before the election there was no mention of the building containing asbestos, apparently, this was public knowledge. After the election information started to appear about the true cost of the renovation. The project is on track to cost over $100 million. Much of the renovated building will be leased by Brock University and The Haltech Regional Innovation Centre.

John Best states “I submit that the city engaged in deliberate obfuscation of the financial scope of the project, as they engaged in public consultation. Indeed, those members of the public who participated in surveys and town halls had no idea for what they were actually providing buy-in, making the public consultation piece a sham“.

The full Bay Observer article and the report from the Integrity Commissioner is here (December 4th, 2024).

Ombudsman unable to rule on council’s handling of Bateman

Tax Petition is presented to council “oh well”   

1

Good morning and thank you for your time today.

The “Stop the 7​.​5% Burlington Property Tax Increase” petition has been presented to council. Twelve hundred and forty-seven people signed the petition asking for a zero percent tax increase. The multi-year forecast called for 8.9%, by asking for zero we were hoping to meet somewhere in the middle, at 4.4%, oh well.

I have to say I was surprised to see Burlington get out early again this year with the fictional “4.97%” overall tax increase.

It was interesting to watch Mr. Basit present a 4.97% on November 4th when the Halton Police budget had been made public on October 30th. Did Mr. Basit knowingly misrepresent the truth?

On November 18th I listened to Leah Bortolotti talk about 6.7 million people visiting the website annually. I did another double-take. For a dose of reality, only 200,000 people live in Burlington. Are we expected to believe that every person in Burlington visits the website an average of 33 times a year? How many of these visits are to book the kids into a swim class? More confusing is that the budget document states on page 48 “our website—with its 1.5 million annual users”.

You have approved $148,000 for an SEO Marketing position. What is the payback?

Will there be a staff reduction in Service Burlington because people can find information themselves? Will there be KPIs to monitor this or is this just another overhead cost?

What residents need is information, not marketing spin, Google can make that information searchable. Adding a web marketing SEO position will slow down the posting of information making that information less accessible to taxpayers. Do you remember the taxpayers?  The people who pay for this.

The mayor talks about training bus drivers and then those drivers take jobs in other cities as a justification for higher pay. This statement is not supported by the 5.3% turnover number presented on November 4th. A rate of 5.3% is lower than any private sector group except for heads of organizations and executives at 3.8%. This indicates the city has the right mix of salary, benefits and working conditions. An average, across-the-board, salary increase of 4.58% when inflation is 2.5% sounds high.

My theme today is clarity. Residents deserve factual information, clearly presented on the city’s website, by staff and the council, without the deft hand of a communications department spinning that information for the benefit of our elected representatives and city staff. I resent being taxed to pay for information to be marketed to me.

Looking ahead to 2026, what considerations are being made for a conservative Federal government and severe cuts to the housing accelerator fund? Much of the expected $21,000,000 may evaporate.

In terms of provincial funding, what happens if the city does not meet its housing targets and no provincial funds are available?

Burlington is building out community centers, transit, etc. for people who may or may not move into the community. What happens if the builders don’t build and the people don’t materialize? Is it time for more prudent cost controls?

The Burlington Residents’ Action Group submitted to this council, in writing, 14 pages of possible cost savings and economies of scale that the city could consider.

I’ve watched many council meetings, people who ask for money often receive money, and people who ask for cuts often receive nothing.

Why are lower tax increases important?

Lower increases leave people with more money for heat pumps and EVs.

Lower increases reduce renovictions by landlords who, through rent control, can only increase rents by 2.5%. This will reduce homelessness and help to “solve the crisis”.

Lower increases leave more money in people’s pockets, reducing food bank visits and crime, and lower the overall cost of policing.

I’ll conclude with, Your Worship, you win, for now, you hold all the cards, residents are not given enough time to review the budget, the budget does not include explanations for the programs, or what the return on the “investment” will be, and requests for details go unanswered. Congratulations on passing another huge budget increase without the community understanding what the percentage is or what the dollars are for!


What is happening with taxes in Burlington and why is the increase percentage so confusing?

The amount of revenue the city collects from Burlington property taxes will increase by 8.3% in 2025. New homes and condos, referred to as new assessments, will offset about .75% of this increase, leaving existing taxpayers with a 7.51% tax increase to line 1, the M-Municipal line on our tax bills. If the new assessment dollars don’t come in the way the city expects them to the “Tax Rate Stabilization” reserve fund will be used to make up for any shortfall.

Where does the 5.76% number come from?

If you look at the total tax bill, including taxes from Halton Region, Halton Police, and the Board of Education, our total tax bill will go up 5.76%. At this time, December 5th, 2024, the region has not voted on their increase so things may change.

Stay in touch, signup for our newsletter.

It's free!