City Council’s request for enhanced public participation in the municipal budget process begins October 1, 2023 with an online survey. The City’s budget survey will ask residents to provide input on items such as City services, value for tax dollar, and the importance of maintaining current infrastructure.
Property taxes are an important revenue for the City. When combined with program fees, user fees, facility rentals, and additional funding sources, they make up the available money (revenue) coming into the City that is then spent on the services, infrastructure, programs, and projects that residents rely on daily. In addition, the City looks at long-term planning and investment to meet the needs of the community and encourage future growth. All of this is summarized in the budget, an itemized plan for the revenue coming in and the expenditures going out.
The benefits of public engagement, particularly when it comes to budget and municipal spending, extend beyond being transparent and accountable. The City is actively working to encourage dialogue and help residents better understand the landscape of local issues, decision-making, and program and service delivery.
When the budget survey launches on October 1, 2023, residents will have one month to provide feedback before staff add the survey results to City Council’s budget package for review. Survey participation is anonymous.
For more information on how the City budget works and the process for approving the 2024 Municipal Budget, visit: https://www.timmins.ca/our_services/finance/how_your_city_budget_works
Quotes:
“The goal of the budget process is to help City Council make informed decisions around the allocation of local tax dollars. The public budget survey will help us further understand the programs and services that residents’ value most, and where they would like to see further investment.” – Mayor Michelle Boileau
“We are asking residents to provide feedback as City Council and staff begin to prepare the 2024 budget. It benefits us to understand what is important to residents, and how effective we are at communicating how the municipal budget works. The City’s budget process, balancing both an operating and capital spending plan, determines how effectively we can deliver core services and move action plans forward.” – Natalie Moore, Director of Finance and City Treasurer
|