Burlington City Council has approved the city’s 2023 budget with key investments to ensure infrastructure “keeps pace with the changing needs of the community.”
The 2023 capital budget is $72.6 million, with a 10-year program of $878 million with key investment priorities including:
- Funding for two new community centres – Skyway Community Centre located at 129 Kenwood Ave. and the former Robert Bateman High School at 5151 New St.
- $72.6 million of capital investment in 2023 to keep our infrastructure assets like buildings, roads and parks in a state of good repair.
- New funding dedicated to cycling infrastructure.
A copy of the approved budget book for 2023 will be available online at burlington.ca/budget.
“There is no question this budget presented a challenge to staff, council and residents, but it also presented a clear opportunity to make our city better – not just for the next few years, but for future generations,” Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said in a statement. “We’ve also accounted for inflation, ongoing impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in revenue losses and increased expenses, and ensuring we are competitive in a tight labour market.
“We are also playing catch-up after years of underfunding in community needs, as well as increasing services for new residents – recognizing that population growth never fully pays for growth.”
Spending for the capital budget is based on a 10-year plan and translates to services that have a direct impact on resident daily life, such as developing new parks, renewing existing roadways or revitalizing recreation facilities.