LONDON, ONT. -- Council is beginning to wade into the most contentious part of 2020-23 budget deliberations, some high-priced requests and controversial cuts, which will significantly impact tax bills.
“Why don’t we have a green bin program? Most cities do,” Councillor Anna Hopkins asked her colleagues.
Despite the $17.6 million price tag council gave the green light to a city-wide green bin program for compostable waste.
It is part of an initiative to increase waste diversion from the landfill to 60 per cent. Staff also warned it would be a requirement for provincial approval to expand the W12A landfill.
More changes at the curb
Council voted to discontinue curbside Christmas tree collection. Not collecting about 15,000 trees each January will shave $40,000 from the city budget.
Instead, homeowners will be asked to store their tree in the backyard until the first yard waste collection in March, according to Deputy Mayor Jesse Helmer.
“I do think that’s the simplest thing that would lower the cost, which is put it out later.”
Council also reduced roadwork on residential side streets by $800 a year to better align with needs.
They put $3 million more towards the infrastructure gap and supported incentives for developers to build affordable housing.
And they shifted some conservation authority costs from tax bills to sewer bills, despite Councillor Stephen Turner arguing homeowners will end up paying more.
"What we heard is it will actually increase the amount that a residential ratepayer will pay."
Council makes up transit funding cut
City council has spared London transit from major service cuts by plugging a financial shortfall with property taxes.
Day three of municipal budget deliberations saw council wrestle with a massive funding increase for the London Transit Commission (LTC), just to maintain current service plans, as a result of funding decisions made by the provincial government.
“This is a budget that is going to help them provide the services that need to be provided,” explained Councillor Phil Squire who chairs the LTC.
Councillor Shawn Lewis acknowledged city hall has chronically underfunded the LTC, “I think this is an opportunity for us to provide some catch up.”
London transit will receive $136.5 million over the next four years - essentially just to maintain service levels.
Meanwhile, a decision by the provincial government to walk away from its predecessor’s promise to double gas tax funding for the LTC created a $21.9 million impact over the four-year budget.
Despite a hesitance to back stop provincial funding changes, council members voted 14-1 to make up the difference.
A motion from Helmer provided some short-term tax relief with council agreeing to use $2.6 million of one-time federal gas tax revenue to spread the impact of transit funding increases more evenly over the four-year budget.
Taxes at a glance
At the end of day three the average annual tax increase stands at 4.3 per cent if council were to approve the remaining 20 business cases for new spending.
Deliberations resume Friday.
