Draft 2025 Operating Budget Now Available

We are now seeking final comments and feedback on the Draft 2025 Operating Budget.

The operating budget is the City’s plan for the day-to-day costs required to deliver all City services to ratepayers. Operating expenses include road maintenance, snow removal, transit operations, garbage collection, recreational programming, park upkeep, external funding of health and social services, and more.

Thank you to everyone who took part in our preliminary survey in May. The feedback collected during this process helped to shape the following council-approved guidelines to develop and finalize the budget:

• That the 2025 Draft Operating Budget be presented with overall residential property tax rate increases not to exceed 5%, excluding any tax rate increases generated from the 2024 Fire Master Plan phase-in approved by Council;
• That the 2025 Draft Operating Budget consider the service areas prioritized through public input received;
• That City Department Operating Issues presented in the 2025 Draft Operating Budget align with the strategic themes and initiatives outlined in the City's Strategic Plan and Departmental Operating Plans, with priority given to those categorized as Legislative, Compliance, or Health & Safety and Maintenance of Service Levels, and where any Enhancement of Service Levels are proposed, that they align with public input received; and
• That the 2025 Draft Operating Budget incorporate a moderate increase in its tax-funded contributions to capital projects in alignment with the financial strategy outlined in the 2024 Asset Management Plan.

The Special Council Agenda containing the proposed operating budget documents and departmental plans has been posted online and is now available for public review.

We encourage all stakeholders to review the documents and take our online survey by Feb. 13 to have their say. Survey results will be provided to Council for consideration prior to the Operating Budget Special Council Meetings on Feb. 20 and 21.

Those who require accessibility supports to fully participate in the survey are asked to contact communications@belleville.ca so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

For more information on the budget and budget process, visit: Belleville.ca/Budget.