The election for our next mayor and council is underway. Many people are concerned about the change to the Municipal Levy box on our tax bill. Burlington’s city council controls that box, and it’s increased by more than 44% over our current council's four-year term. What else has increased is debt, from $74 million in 2022 to $151.5 million in June 2026, a 104% increase. Faced with concerns from residents, the leading candidates for mayor are now claiming to be “Fiscally Responsible”. Who should we believe?
Opinion: Ribbon Cuttings vs. Real Oversight?
Being Burlington's mayor comes with significant responsibilities, a $493-million budget to oversee, and a six-figure salary funded by taxpayers. But what does the job require day to day, and where does social media posting end and executive oversight begin? Let’s start with a job description. The Ontario Municipal Act (OMA) sets out the rules as … Continue reading Opinion: Ribbon Cuttings vs. Real Oversight?
Opinion: Campaign funding investigation: Burlington and Halton – Part II
In Part 1, Stephen White reviewed who contributed to the winning candidates' 2022 campaigns. https://www.focusburlington.ca/campaigndonations2022/ After an election, every candidate must file a list of contributors. This information is public, and this post includes references to the source websites. There are 30 candidates running in the 2026 election, six of these candidates also ran in … Continue reading Opinion: Campaign funding investigation: Burlington and Halton – Part II
Opinion: Are influence, power, and wealth constant bedfellows?
I looked at two properties in Burlington to understand how zoning changes affect property values. One property is zoned commercial and the other residential. I’ve also heard from two candidates running in different wards that Alinea, a major Burlington landowner, emailed them asking them to remove their campaign signs from the city’s road allowance next … Continue reading Opinion: Are influence, power, and wealth constant bedfellows?
Opinion: Are influence, power, and wealth constant bedfellows?
I looked at two properties in Burlington to understand how zoning changes affect property values. One property is zoned commercial and the other residential. I’ve also heard from two candidates running in different wards that Alinea, a major Burlington landowner, emailed them asking them to remove their campaign signs from the city’s road allowance next … Continue reading Opinion: Are influence, power, and wealth constant bedfellows?
Opinion – Campaign Platforms. Are they worth the paper they’re printed on?
A member of the Burlington community shared this black-and-white scan of a 2018 campaign flyer with us. We've listed the 5 platform planks; fill out the scorecard at the end to rate how things have worked out.
Opinion – Social Media Polling
For the last seven days, polls have been running on three social media platforms. The quesion on everyones mind is "If the election for Burlington's next Mayor were being held today, who would you vote for??" What did we learn?
Opinion – The battle cry for property tax increases! 2% for Infrastructure, 2% for Infrastructure, 2% for Infrastructure.
With 2026’s 5.8% increase to the city budget and the Burlington line on our tax bills, we were told that there were four components to the increase, as explained in this graphic from the city. In dollar terms, 2% is about $5.2 million; in theory, $5.2 million of property tax money is going into keeping … Continue reading Opinion – The battle cry for property tax increases! 2% for Infrastructure, 2% for Infrastructure, 2% for Infrastructure.
Opinion – Burlington by the Numbers
Burlington’s municipal election starts with internet voting from October 14th to October 23rd and ends with in-person voting on October 26th. Municipal elections take place every four years. Here are some key numbers showing how things have changed for Burlington over the last four years. Property Taxes – Burlington’s portion of the tax bill – … Continue reading Opinion – Burlington by the Numbers
Opinion – Our Survey Results
The Burlington Gazette/Focus Burlington survey was conducted between August 22nd and August 31th. The survey was shared online through the BurlingtonGazette.ca and FocusBurlington.ca websites. Posts asking for input were made on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, X, Reddit and NextDoor. In total, 324 people responded to the survey. Thank you to everyone who participated. As with any … Continue reading Opinion – Our Survey Results