City of Mississauga: Proposed 2014 Business Plan & Budget Presented

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 26, 2013) - Today at Budget Committee, City staff presented the proposed 2014 Business Plan & Budget to Mayor McCallion and City councillors.

Patti Elliott-Spencer, Director of Finance and Treasurer, gave an overview of the proposed budget. The presentation and the proposed budget are available on the City's website.

"The plan focuses on meeting residents' expectations by delivering the right services in a cost-effective manner," said Elliott-Spencer. "It will help us to maintain our infrastructure and guide us as we advance on our strategic vision while sustaining Mississauga's reputation as a global urban centre."

Key Highlights

• The proposed increase on the total 2014 residential tax bill, including the City, the Region of Peel and the provincial education amounts, is about 2.8 per cent.
  • The City's Budget will result in an increase of about $18 per $100,000 of assessment, for a total of $308 per $100,000 of assessment.
  • The City's portion of this increase is 1.9 per cent.
  • The Region of Peel's published estimate accounts for 0.9 per cent; no increase in the provincial education rate is forecast.

• In 2014 the City will spend about $672.2 million on delivering services.
  • Costs for labour, fuel and other supplies needed to deliver services will likely increase by about 5 per cent from 2013 to 2014. (Costs increased by 5.3 per cent from 2012 to 2013.)
  • These increases are partially offset by $7.9 million in efficiencies identified by City staff.
  • The required increase from the tax bill to maintain current services is less than the rate of inflation.

• Special levies will continue to provide dedicated funds to deal with specific issues.
  • The Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect, is threatening to destroy the City's 116,000 Ash trees. The proposed increase in the EAB levy will deal with this problem.
  • The City's aging infrastructure needs repair and ongoing maintenance. The City will continue the two per cent Infrastructure and Debt Levy to help close the $80 million per year gap in funds required.
  • The Budget Committee will also consider a special levy for a request from the University of Toronto Mississauga for $1 million per year for the next 10 years, for a total of $10 million, to assist in funding its new Innovation Complex.

• Climate change and recent weather events have highlighted pressures on the City's stormwater management system - a stormwater user fee is proposed for 2016.

• Costs of Fire & Emergency Services; Roads, Storm Drainage and Watercourses and Mississauga Transit have the highest impact on the 2014 Budget.

• Modest new service initiatives are primarily focused on transit; MiWay will provide 70,000 new service hours in 2014.

Next Budget Committee Meeting dates

• December 2 - Budget Committee, continuing service area presentations
• December 3 and 4 - Budget Committee deliberations
• December 11 - 2014 Budget scheduled to go to Council for approval

All Budget Committee meetings are open to the public and are aired live on Rogers Cable 10. All members of City Council are members of the Budget Committee. Delegations can be made at any budget committee. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for live updates. For more information about the Budget Committee Meeting and future meeting dates, visit mississauga.ca/budget.

As Canada's sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 741,000 residents and more than 54,000 businesses, including more than 60 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is "Leading Today for Tomorrow" by focussing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.