THUNDER BAY — There is still time to take the city's 2025 operating budget survey and have a say in how council should spend your tax dollars this year.
Although council unanimously voted to approve the operating budget at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting, the proposed 2025 operating budget is still open to feedback from the public until just before midnight tonight, according to the city.
Before council voted to approve the budget, Coun. Rajni Agarwal pointed out that council has yet to hear the survey results.
City Treasurer Keri Greaves said a full report on the survey results will be presented on Feb 10, when council is scheduled to ratify the budget.
“I just think we should have that information, in fairness to the community, because we are reflective of the community as a whole to have their input and have their voices heard,” Agarwal said.
Rather than prolonging budget deliberation into another meeting on Wed. 5, Coun. Trevor Giertuga said he would support voting on the budget based on the knowledge that the survey result will be presented before council votes to ratify the budget.
“We didn't have another opportunity to speak to it, but at ratification, we have an opportunity to make changes at that point if there is something we want to change or to bring forward as we have done historically. So, I'll support this,” said Giertuga.
Coun. Kasey Etreni said she would also support a vote to approve the budget without hearing the survey results first.
She pointed out that she has been getting updates about the survey results so far and she is “pretty satisfied to move this forward.”
Giertuga took the opportunity to thank administration for a job well done on this year budget, as well as, administrations foresight in looking to get next year's municipal tax levy to a 2.6 per cent.
“They met our mandate with a focus on growth as we talked about previously, so I think we can't ask for anything more than that,” Giertuga said.
Members of the public can find the proposed 2025 operating budget survey on the city’s get involved page.
