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
Opinion – Fact Checking the Budget Town Hall Meetings!
Focus Burlington is a group of volunteers dedicated to promoting a safe, secure, and sustainable future for all residents of Burlington. Group members recently attended all the city’s town hall meetings on the 2026 budget. Accompanying the mayor at every meeting is our very own Deputy Mayor for Strategy and Budgets, our Ward 5 councillor. … Continue reading Opinion – Fact Checking the Budget Town Hall Meetings!
Opinion – Burlington’s 2026 Budget Blueprint
Focus Burlington, a group of volunteers, we took a look at the 2026 Budget Blueprint and here’s what we found. From 2022 to 2026, the Burlington line on our tax bill will increase by 45%. Here’s the explanation. Our tax bill has three lines on it: one for the city, one for the region, and … Continue reading Opinion – Burlington’s 2026 Budget Blueprint
Alton West and $3.8 Million dollars
Why are Burlington Taxpayers being hit with a $3.8 million tax increase for Alton West? During the September 18th, 2025, Ward 6 budget town hall, the mayor stated that one of the pressures on this year's budget is “maintenance services for the Alton West neighbourhood, which is being built as we speak." This map shows … Continue reading Alton West and $3.8 Million dollars
Opinion – Food For Feedback
Please complete the Focus Burlington Budget survey linked at the bottom of this post. The annual, City of Burlington, Food for Feedback event is back. Visit Central Park on September 13th, 2025 from 12 – 4 p.m. to participate. Through a Freedom of Information request, we learned that the city paid $47,657.37 for food at … Continue reading Opinion – Food For Feedback
Opinion – Is respect a two-way street?
Every year in August, the City of Burlington mails us a copy of the “City Talk” magazine. The magazine contains sixteen pages of “News from your municipal government”. Page 14 shows us the “Budget Projections as of July 15, 2025”. This paragraph accompanies the chart. When I read this statement, I walk away thinking that … Continue reading Opinion – Is respect a two-way street?
Community Gardens in Burlington
Gardening has been shown to improve the mental health and wellness of gardeners. Many Burlington residents, especially those in high-rise buildings, don't have access to a garden. The City of Burlington manages 231 community garden plots. Eight plots are assigned to food security organizations, leaving 223 for residents. Each plot rents for $65 (plus tax) … Continue reading Community Gardens in Burlington