Council completes work on the 2025 budget which addresses Burlington’s current and future needs

Burlington City Council completed their deliberations on the 2025 budget during a Special Council Meeting. Built on four guiding principles - affordability, livability, sustainability, and transparency - the budget addresses immediate needs while laying the groundwork for long-term growth and resilience.

The 2025 budget strikes a balance between maintaining fiscal responsibility and investing in essential services and infrastructure. Key funding has been allocated for initiatives such as the low-income property tax relief program, fee subsidies, flood relief, and green infrastructure projects, ensuring income is not a barrier to participation and preparing the city for future climate challenges. Investments also include improvements to transit, road maintenance, parks, and recreation facilities to enhance daily life in Burlington.

Public feedback informed the development of this budget, providing valuable insights into residents' priorities and concerns. Through surveys, meetings, focus groups, and events like Food for Feedback, more than 4,500 interactions with residents provided meaningful responses. Input from the community highlighted the need to focus on “needs,” not “wants,” and this budget does just that - giving priority to core services like public safety, transit, and infrastructure.

This budget reflects what was shared by the community: the need to focus on what matters most today while preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

At the Special Council Meeting, Burlington City Council completed their review of the 2025 budget, resulting in four amendments, only one of which had an impact on taxes - the addition of $15,000 to increase washroom hours in Spencer Smith Park. Another amendment, for enhanced park maintenance at Burloak Park, was funded through an offset to the budget. Under provincial legislation, the Mayor has the authority to veto any amendments. Today, the Mayor issued a Mayoral Decision to end the veto period, which is now posted online. By ending the veto period, the budget, as amended by Council, is “deemed approved” in accordance with provincial regulation.

The 2025 budget includes an overall tax increase of 5.76 per cent, slightly higher than earlier fall projections due to increases in the Region of Halton budget. The breakdown includes:

A 7.51 per cent increase in the portion of the City’s budget funded through property taxes, net of assessment growth.

Halton Region’s projected increase is 6 per cent. Budget deliberations for the Region will be held on December 4 and December 11. Members of the public are welcome to delegate.

No change from the Boards of Education.

For urban residential properties, this means an increase of $52.91 for every $100,000 of assessed property value.

Your property tax bill is made up of three parts:

51 per cent goes to the City of Burlington to fund local services like transit, roads, parks, and public safety.

33 per cent goes to Halton Region for regional services like Halton Regional Police Service, waste management, water, and public health.

16 per cent goes to the Boards of Education to support local schools.

The blended tax rate combines these portions into a single rate, reflecting changes across all three. Even if one portion, like the City, increases or decreases, the overall rate may differ depending on changes from the Region and Boards of Education.

Budget Amendments and Process

Council reviewed and debated the budget through multiple meetings, including opportunities to propose amendments. This year, 27 amendments were brought forward by Members of Council, and 4 of those were approved. These adjustments reflect Council’s efforts to refine the budget and respond to emerging priorities.

The budget itself covers both capital expenses, like major infrastructure projects, and operating expenses, which include the day-to-day costs of running city services. It’s funded through a mix of property taxes, which account for 72% of City revenues, as well as user fees and service charges, reserves, development charges, and support from other levels of government.

By balancing these funding sources, the budget ensures Burlington can meet its immediate needs while planning responsibly for the future.

Top 5 Capital Investments in 2025

Burlington’s population is expected to grow by over 40 per cent in the next 25 years. To ensure a sustainable financial future, City budgets need to prepare for growing resident needs. This includes investing in more infrastructure for long-term community benefits. In 2025, $103.5 million is allocated for capital projects that will bring improvements to every ward. Some of the largest investments include:

$12M to renew City parks, including City View Park to increase park use

$10M for repair and renewal to City facilities to promote community use

$7.8M for the Burlington Transit Operation Facility expansion to increase transit efficiencies

$6.3M for the Plains Road renewal to decrease traffic congestion

$5.2M for Stormwater Management to reduce flood risk in high-priority areas