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.
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?
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
If you are older than sixty-five, you may remember a popular song from the 1970s called “Signs”. It was recorded by a group out of Ottawa called the Five Man Electrical Band, who experienced some popular success here in Canada and, to a lesser extent, in the U.S. The chorus to the song goes something … Continue reading Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
Opinion – Budget 2026 – Do Burlington residents deserve transparency, accountability, and real engagement? (Part 2)
The City of Burlington posts “Council Information” packages to the city’s website. These packages are available to the public on the city’s meeting calendar. (Council and Committees Calendar - City of Burlington) The November 14th, 2025, package contains a list of questions and responses on the 2026 Budget. One of the questions was: “How does … Continue reading Opinion – Budget 2026 – Do Burlington residents deserve transparency, accountability, and real engagement? (Part 2)
Opinion – Budget 2026 – Do Burlington residents deserve transparency, accountability, and real engagement? (Part 1)
First, we’d like to thank the city for the responses to our questions. What is happening in Burlington with Salaries and Wages As one of many questions on the 2026 budget, Focus Burlington asked the city, “What is the reasoning behind the average salary increase being in the range of 5% when CPI is in … Continue reading Opinion – Budget 2026 – Do Burlington residents deserve transparency, accountability, and real engagement? (Part 1)
Opinion – Bus Shelters or Technology?
Burlington’s 2026 Budget includes $4.2 million for three new 40-foot buses, $95,000 a year, every year, for bus stop improvements and a one-time expense of $299,000 for technology improvements. The technology improvements are for buses with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems. There are also major improvements planned for specialized (accessible) transit. As Burlington moves towards … Continue reading Opinion – Bus Shelters or Technology?
Focus Burlington’s 2026 Budget Survey Results
Thank you to the 222 people who participated in our survey. This is a summary of what we learned.
Opinion – Burlington’s 2026 Budget: Where is the money going?
Increases to salaries & benefits will use over 57% of the tax increase. We took a look at Burlington's 2026 budget. The average salary increase for full-time employees is 5.17%. The average salary, before benefits, will be $106,556.35.
Our Survey on Burlington’s 2026 Budget
The city will be releasing a detailed 2026 budget on October 24th, 2025, and our council will vote to pass the budget on December 2nd, 2025. Focus Burlington, a group of volunteers, is conducting a survey on the 2026 budget. We don’t have all the budget details, but the city has released enough information to … Continue reading Our Survey on Burlington’s 2026 Budget