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?
Councillor Kearns holding a Resident Information Session on Development Charges
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns will be holding a Resident Information Session in City Hall on Saturday, the 28th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm More information here: https://burlingtongazette.ca/councillor-kearns-holding-a-resident-information-session-on-development-charges/
Opinion: Attend the March 2nd Council Meeting
Elimination Of Development Charges To Be Voted On At The March 2nd Council Meeting PLEASE BE THERE ! There has been much publicity and comment about the ongoing debate at City Hall as to whether or not the City of Burlington should allow property developers a holiday from paying development charges. It is being proposed by … Continue reading Opinion: Attend the March 2nd Council Meeting
Opinion – Do They Deserve Another Term?
2026 will usher in another municipal election. It has been eight years since the mayor and councillors were first elected. https://www.focusburlington.ca/ready-set-run/ If their first term was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to deal with and limit its negative consequences, surely the second has been symbolized by higher-than-anticipated budget increases. By using terms … Continue reading Opinion – Do They Deserve Another Term?
Opinion – What on Earth Is Going On With Burlington’s Housing Strategy?
In January 2024, Burlington's council stood shoulder to shoulder with federal ministers to announce a “huge investment” in our city’s housing future: $21 million from Ottawa’s Housing Accelerator Fund. The message was clear. Burlington was cutting red tape. Zoning would be modernized. The city committed to streamlining approvals, implementing Major Transit Station Areas, introducing four … Continue reading Opinion – What on Earth Is Going On With Burlington’s Housing Strategy?
Opinion-David Barker’s Delegation to Council February 17th, 2026
David Barker spoke to council on February 17th, 2026, regarding the mayor's proposal to eliminate development charges in Burlington. There is a short survey gathering public input on this issue at the bottom of this post. This is what David said: I am amazed and extremely disappointed that City Council is willing to in effect … Continue reading Opinion-David Barker’s Delegation to Council February 17th, 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 – SORRY, NOT SORRY
On Monday, February 9, I live-streamed Burlington’s Committee of the Whole meeting. At least four delegations urged the City Council to reduce or defer development charges for new housing. Council was eventually persuaded to move to the next step in granting a two-year freeze. The justifications were familiar: softer housing demand, unsold condos across the … Continue reading Opinion – SORRY, NOT SORRY
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?
A Better Engagement Model
There has been a lot of discussion lately about “engagement.” I previously wrote about this subject in the context of comments from a recent Focus Burlington Town Hall meeting about people’s experiences delegating at City Hall. Some have asked what Focus Burlington would do differently. This post answers that question.