And we reach the grand finale of this year’s budget confirmation process, or we don’t. This could be the end of the budget process, but on the other hand there might be vetos and the repeal of vetos, but those are problems for another day. This day is about amendments, councillors will be able to finally have their day and amend the now confirmed 2025 budget, and that’s where the proverbial fun begins. This preview will show us where we start from…
NOTE #1: There will be no delegations at this meeting.
NOTE #2: In addition to meeting in-person, this meeting will also be live-streamed on the City of Guelph’s website here.
NOTE #3: This meeting will take place at the special day and time of 9 am on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Mayor Cam Guthrie officially signed off on the 2025 budget update. All that’s left now is any amendments from the other councillors that they might like to add, but Guthrie has already done a lot of adding of his own.
According to a media release on Thursday, there’s been a 0.6 per cent increase to the net tax levy proposed a couple of weeks ago, and it now sits at 3.21 per cent. Among the additions to the mayor’s budget is a one-year community benefit agreement for the Guelph Tool Library, the restoration of funding for the Welcoming Streets initiative, as well as the restoration of some funding for forestry work, the Culture Plan, increased frequency on Transit route #5, and the bicentennial.
In terms of new funding there will be a crosswalk at Margaret Greene Park, the installation of a veteran’s crosswalk, accessibility at local trails and parks, a review of the community benefit program, and more resources for affordable and non-market housing plus more emergency funds to combat the homelessness and mental health and addictions crises.
Below are the formal motions for the budget:
Mayor’s 2025 Budget Confirmation – So this is the budget before council approves any amendments to add spending or cut spending. Even if council approves amendments, they can be vetoed by the mayor and one-third of council, but that veto can be overwritten by a super-majority of nine votes at a later meeting.
1. An amended 2025 City operating budget inclusive of the following:
a. City service budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2025 of $10,426,644 or 3.21 per cent over 2024.
b. User rates, fees and charges.
c. Total transfers to/from Reserve and Reserve Funds in 2025 in accordance with the Reserve and Reserve Fund summary.
2. The Guelph General Hospital levy in the amount of $750,000 budgeted for the fourth of six years as approved on December 3, 2019.
3. An administrative adjustment for debt funding in the amount of $1,634,000 between the City budget and Guelph Public Library budget, totalling a net zero impact to the total Guelph tax levy.
4. A 2026-2027 operating budget forecast and the 2028 inflationary budget forecast to be received as information.
5. An amended 2025 City capital budget with a net reduction of $29,555,817 from the 2025 adopted budget resulting in the gross 2025 expenditure amount of $197,601,863 with the associated operating budget required upon completion of these projects totalling $3,923,921, inclusive of funding transfers from capital reserve funds and other sources including partnerships, grants, and debt financing.
6. A 2026-2034 Capital forecast in the gross amount of $2,128,756,900.
7. Item 4 of the Mayoral direction 2024-B2 directed staff to prepare a memo outlining the costs, proposed funding sources (including sponsorship), and operational impacts of introducing a one-year pilot project for free transit for high school students after 4pm Mon-Fri and on weekends and holidays. Please find this information in Attachment-1 to this memo.
2025 Draft Budget Update Companion Report: Council Budget Decisions – There are additional budget motions that fall outside the Strong Mayor Powers to authorise without council:
1. That the 2025-2027 rates fees and charges be readopted, subject to any amendments in budget confirmation years 2026 and 2027.
2. That the Development Applications Fee By-law be amended to reflect the changes in Attachment-1.
3. That in accordance with the General Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy, total transfers to and from reserves and reserve funds for 2025 are approved.
4. That a one-time transfer from the Library Capital reserve fund (#157) to the Infrastructure Renewal reserve fund (#150) to properly align funding and expenditures for Baker District debt servicing costs is approved.
5. That Appendix A of the General Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy be amended to reflect the creation of a Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) reserve fund (#304) and a Building Faster Fund (BFF) reserve fund (#306) in accordance with the terms and authority identified in the 2024-457 2025 Draft Budget Update Companion Report – Council Budget Decisions report, dated October 30, 2024.
6. That Council acknowledges the City’s reserve strategy deployed in the 2025 budget update results in operating contingency reserve balances that continue to be below approved targets, and that staff continue to be directed to replenish these reserves as a first priority through the allocation of year-end surplus until such point that they reach a minimum of 75 per cent of target over the multi-year budget period.
7. That Council acknowledges that the 10-year capital budget and forecast included in the 2025 budget update will significantly draw down the City’s capital reserve funds and rely on inter-reserve fund borrowing, and that this is expected to result in balances below policy targets at times during the budget and forecast period.
8. That Council acknowledges that the 10-year capital budget and forecast included in the 2025 budget update will be supported by debt financing at the same level as the debt strategy proposed in the 2024-2027 multi-year budget, and that the projected debt levels are in excess of the credit rating agency criterion, which will likely impact the City’s future credit rating.
9. That given the sustained increase in the size of the capital budget and forecast, the projected drawdown of reserve funds and increased reliance on debt, staff be directed to undertake a sustainability analysis on the overall level of tax supported capital funding, and report back to Council with any recommendations prior to the next multi-year budget cycle (2028 – 2031).
10. That staff be directed to assess the long-term capital needs of the water and wastewater services, and the impact on customers of adjusting utility rates between the services to achieve a balanced capital reserve fund forecast for each service; and that proposed adjustments resulting from this assessment are presented as part of the 2026 budget confirmation process.
Additional Motions:
Budget Impacts per Ontario Regulation 284-09 and Budget: Public Sector Accounting Standards Reconciliation 2025 – As usual, council has to pass this motion because accounting standards for the Ontario government are slightly different from the ones that the City uses: “That the budget impacts per Ontario Regulation 284-09 and budget – Public Sector Accounting Standards Reconciliation for the 2025 budget be approved.”
Shortening the 30-Day Budget Amendment Period – This closes out the amendment period since this is one and only meeting to tackle any and all amendments to the mayor’s budget: “That the 30-day budget amendment period prescribed in Ontario Regulation 530/22 Section 7 (3) be shortened and the final day for amendments be November 27th, 2024.”
Guelph Politico 