Please take a minute to complete the short survey at the end of this post, asking what you think about road widening, transit, and bike lanes. On December 2, 2025, six of the seven city councillors voted to pass the 2026 budget (amendments) with a 5.8% increase in spending. We’ll see the Burlington line on … Continue reading OPINION – What’s in Burlington’s 2026 Budget for Traffic?
Regular Meeting of Council – February 17, 2026
This is a computer-generated transcript of the meeting and may contain inaccuracies. You can check the accuracy of any statement by using the timestamp information and watching the video of the meeting from the city's website. This transcript is provided as a service to the community. Hearing-impaired individuals who are unable to watch the meeting … Continue reading Regular Meeting of Council – February 17, 2026
Pipeline to Permit – February 12, 2026
This is a computer-generated transcript of the meeting and may contain inaccuracies. You can view the agenda and verify the accuracy of any statement using the timestamp information and the city's video on the city's website. This transcript is provided as a service to the community. Hearing-impaired individuals who are unable to watch the meeting … Continue reading Pipeline to Permit – February 12, 2026
Committee of the Whole – February 10, 2026
This is a computer-generated transcript of the meeting and may contain inaccuracies. You can check the accuracy of any statement by using the timestamp information and watching the video of the meeting from the city's website. This transcript is provided as a service to the community. Hearing-impaired individuals who are unable to watch the meeting … Continue reading Committee of the Whole – February 10, 2026
Opinion – Eliminate Development Charges – Yes or No?
Mike Collins-Williams, the CEO of the West End Home Builders, recently delegated to the Burlington city council. Collins-Williams asked council to remove development charges completely for the next two years. What are Development Charges? Development Charges (DCs) are one-time fees collected by municipalities from developers to help pay for new infrastructure to serve new growth. … Continue reading Opinion – Eliminate Development Charges – Yes or No?
Opinion – Housing or Speculation?
With the recent cancellation of a 475-unit condo project on Appleby Line, a correction in the condo market may already be happening. https://burlingtongazette.ca/appleby-line-development-cancelled-475-units-will-not-make-it-to-market What are some of the reasons behind this market correction? The transformation of GTHA's condo market from housing to an investment vehicle for "mom and pop" investors didn't happen overnight. The roots … Continue reading Opinion – Housing or Speculation?
Budgets 101 – Operating and Capital
Join the discussion on January 20th at 7 pm - Burlington Lions Club - details: https://www.focusburlington.ca/2026communitydiscussion/ Municipalities in Ontario have long been required to approve two budgets: an operating budget and a capital budget. The province spells out the rules in the Municipal Act. Burlington combines its operating and capital budgets into one document covering … Continue reading Budgets 101 – Operating and Capital
Everything you want to know about municipal reserve funds but were too bored to ask.
Reserve funds are a long-established way for municipalities to manage money. As of September 30th, 2025, Burlington’s reserve funds held $223.5 million, of which $90.2 million is what the city calls committed, meaning the city knows how the money will be spent. Burlington receives money from a variety of sources, including taxpayers, user fees, other … Continue reading Everything you want to know about municipal reserve funds but were too bored to ask.
FIFA Caravan Event – Survey Results – to date.
The City of Burlington has set aside $160,000 for a FIFA Caravan Event. In addition to the $160,000, a part-time staff member will be hired to coordinate the event with FIFA, bringing the total to approximately $200,000. The city will use an expected surplus from the Cultural Initiatives Reserve Fund. The money in the reserve … Continue reading FIFA Caravan Event – Survey Results – to date.
What will our June 2026 tax bill look like?
On December 10th, 2025, our Halton Regional Council approved the 2026 budget. With both Burlington and Halton Region having approved budgets, we now know what our June 2026 tax bill will look like. There are four components to our tax bill. This table shows the approved increases and the decision-makers. GovernmentDecision Makers% IncreaseEducationProvince of Ontario0%Region … Continue reading What will our June 2026 tax bill look like?