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.
OPINION: DELEGATION OR DIMINUTION?
“What would you do to improve the delegation process at City Council”?
Let’s Get Organized!
Following the success of our first Town Hall in January, Focus Burlington is excited to invite you to the second event in our Beyond the Ballot series on Thursday, February 26th. This free, public meeting will take place at the Burlington Lions Club on Martha Street, beginning at 7:00 p.m. All Burlington residents are welcome. … Continue reading Let’s Get Organized!
A community discussion on charting a new direction for our city.
Join us on Tuesday, January 20th, 7 pm, Lions Club Hall. Our Panellists Mark Carr Mark is the retired Executive Director of not-for-profit agencies and has been involved in politics and public affairs through his program The Issue, on YourTV for 28 years. He has been a campaign manager for successful provincial and federal elections and has moderated debates, … Continue reading A community discussion on charting a new direction for our city.
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.