City Invites Residents to 2025 and 2026 Budget Re-adoption Telephone Town Hall

Residents of St. Catharines are invited to participate in a Telephone Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, at 7 p.m. to provide feedback on the re-adoption of the City’s 2025 and 2026 budgets. This marks the first time the City will re-adopt a budget, following last year’s approval of its first-ever multi-year budget for 2024 through 2026.

This is a critical opportunity for residents to voice their opinions and ask questions about the City’s financial plans. Feedback from the community will help shape the Mayor’s budget and potential amendments from councillors, which will be introduced following the Mayor’s presentation at the Council meeting on Nov. 6, 2024.

To participate, residents should be by their phones at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9, when they will receive a call from the City. Residents can sign up to ensure they receive the call or remove themselves from the call list by visiting stcatharines.ca/BudgetCall.

Other Engagement Opportunities

In addition to the Telephone Town Hall, residents can also attend a Budget Open House on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, at 6 p.m. at St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre in the Irene Locke Program Room. This will be an in-person opportunity to ask questions and provide input directly to members of the Budget Standing Committee.

On Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2024, a Council (Budget) meeting will be held where staff will present an overview of the draft re-adoption budgets for 2025 and 2026. The staff report, detailing the draft budgets, will be published on the same day as the open house, Oct. 16.

Resident feedback is welcome anytime online at engagestc.ca/Budget.

Key Dates for the 2025-2026 Budget Re-adoption Process

• Oct. 9, 7 p.m. – Telephone Town Hall: Join the City’s live telephone discussion to share your thoughts on the budget.
• Oct. 16, 6 p.m. – Budget Open House: Visit the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre to ask questions and give feedback.
• Oct. 23 – Council Budget Meeting: City staff will present an overview of the draft 2025 and 2026 operating, capital and water and wastewater budgets.
• Nov. 6 – Mayor’s Budget Presentation: The Mayor will present his budgets to Council.
• Nov. 20 – Council Considers Amendments: Councillors’ amendments to the budgets will be considered by Council. If amendments are not submitted this meeting will be cancelled.

The timeline for adopting the budget depends on a few factors: if any amendments are made; if the mayor decides to veto any amendments; and if Council votes to override a veto. The earliest the budgets will be adopted is Nov. 26, 2024, and the latest they will be adopted is Dec. 16, 2024

For more information about the budget re-adoption process and how to participate, please visit stcatharines.ca/Budget.