Budget priorities - consultation results

Budget Roadshow

Ahead of the setting of guidelines for the drafting of the 2020 Budget, City Staff worked with Finance Chair Councillor Dean Pappas, Finance Vice Chair Councillor Gary Baldwin as well as the Mayor and Ward Councillors to undertake a Budget Roadshow.

The Budget Roadshow included a series of sessions, four drop-in style sessions and one more structured setting with organized group discussions, in each of the Wards. The sessions provided an opportunity for residents to talk with Council members and Finance staff about priorities for next year’s budget and to have conversations about the issues in our community. About 300 people attended these sessions.

Through the Budget Roadshow, residents were encouraged to fill out the 2020 Budget survey on priorities and issues. The 2020 Budget survey was open for approximately four weeks, from Monday, April 15 to Friday, May 10. It offered broad, high-level topics and questions as one way for residents to engage in the budget process at this early stage of drafting the budget. There were 996 responses to the survey – both online and through paper copies.

According to survey respondents, the most important issues facing the community, recognizing that not all these issues are within the City’s control, are as follows ranked from most important to least important:

1. Housing, accommodations
2. Infrastructure, transportation
3. Cost of living
4. Social issues
5. Economy, jobs, economic issues
6. Health, public health
7. Environment, environmental issues, sustainability
8. Addiction and overdoses
9. Crime, criminal activity
10. Property taxes
11. Provision of recreation facilities
12. Governance and transparency