2024 Budget Survey - What We Heard - Options for balancing the budget

Participants were asked the following question:

To balance the 2024 Budget as required by law, the City of Peterborough has a number of options to consider. Which of the following options would you prefer the City use to balance its budget? (Note: User fees are monies you would pay to the City to access specific services, facilities and utilities, such as licences, permits for using City-owned facilities such as arenas and recreation centres, and sewer surcharge for stormwater management.) Please select all options that you think should be used. You can select multiple options.

Summary of responses:

• Introduce new user fees for some City services that currently have no fees – 49.2%, 195 responses
• Increase user fees for City services that currently have fees – 48.5%, 192 responses
• Increase property taxes – 40.4%, 160 responses
• Reduce service levels – 34.6%, 137 responses
• Other – 24.2%, 96 responses