Re-opening of 2021 Budget survey

Peterborough, ON – With the COVID-19-related cancellation of in-person, drop-in meetings during the first phase of the City of Peterborough’s consultation on the 2021 Budget, the City is re-opening an online survey to provide another opportunity for public input.

This year, the budget survey on community priorities also includes a section on how the City could invest the proceeds from the sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc., which was approved by the Ontario Energy Board last week. The City is expected to receive $50 million to $55 million in revenue from the sale after debt and other expenses.

The budget survey is available at connectptbo.ca/2021budget. It is re-opened from May 5 until 9 p.m. on May 18, 2020.

“We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in these difficult times. The Budget Roadshow is moving online. Fill out the short survey to share your ideas and comments on community priorities as we start to prepare the City’s 2021 Budget,” said Councillor Dean Pappas, the City’s Finance Chair.

“We know the personal, community and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic are going to continue to be felt in our community as residents and businesses recover from the emergency. With the extremely challenging financial situation, your input can help Council decide on setting priorities with our limited resources.”

Council members can also be reached directly by email or phone with their contact information available at peterborough.ca/citycouncil.

A report with recommendations on guidelines for the drafting of the 2021 Budget is expected to be presented to City Council in June 2020.

Results from the community consultation will be reported back to the community through a What We Heard report, which will be provided to Council for its consideration ahead of setting the 2021 Budget guideline. A separate report specific to investing the proceeds from the sale of Peterborough Distribution Inc. will also be presented to Council.

The Budget Roadshow got underway with the first of five scheduled informal drop-in sessions on March 5, 2020 before the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. The provincial and local declarations of emergencies related to the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the remaining Budget Roadshow drop-in sessions.

The budget survey was previously open from February 25 to April 16, 2020 with 262 responses.

The draft 2021 Budget is expected to be presented to Council in the fall with additional opportunities for community engagement before Council considers final approval of the budget in December.

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