Housing and homelessness initiatives in the city could receive a funding boost, courtesy of revisions to the mayor’s 2025 city budget.
The altered plan was released on Thursday afternoon and, if finalized as it is, would come with a 3.21 per cent tax increase for the city-controlled portion of the budget, which is up from 2.59 per cent in the draft document released last month.
“Budgets are always about balancing affordability with value, and I believe that this budget update accomplishes both,” Mayor Cam Guthrie said in a statement posted on the city’s website. “I have listened intently to community feedback over the past few weeks about the draft budget and I’m happy to announce several new and enhanced additions.”
The city-controlled portion accounts for about two-thirds of the city budget, staff previously noted. Local boards and committees, such as police, library and public health, account for the rest.
Boards and committees are set to present their budgets to council in January, though council doesn’t have direct say on them – only the overall total.
Here are the changes, as presented in the mayor’s budget update:
Affordable and other non-market housing
Permanent base increase of $160,000 ($80,000 in each of 2025 and 2026 respectively following the approved staffing phase-in strategy) for resources to lead the city’s policy and programs for non-market housing, including the implementation of the housing affordability strategy. In addition, one-time funding of $225,000 to the affordable housing reserve to increase the total in the reserve to $500,000 by the end of 2025. This would bring the transfer to the affordable housing reserve in 2025 to $325,000.
Emergency funding for homelessness, mental health and addiction crisis
Funding of $300,000 in addition to the $450,000 approved by Council earlier in the year. A total of $750,000 of emergency funding to provide additional basic need support to those most vulnerable to supplement or front-end federal funding opportunities.
Welcoming Streets initiative
Funding of $201,500 is restored to the Welcoming Streets initiative for the program’s final year under the current agreement, with the program concluding at the end of next year. Additionally, direct city staff to collaborate with Welcoming Streets to conduct a survey of the initiative’s clients and share the survey results with council before the end of the current agreement to be funded through this investment.
Guelph Tool Library
Funding of $62,000 for waste reduction and diversion programs in 2025 for a one-year community benefit agreement (CBA).
Youth subsidy
Implement the five per cent youth subsidy reduction for facility use over two years. To phase this reduction, an addition of 2.5 per cent, or $68,750, will bring the youth subsidy to 45 per cent in 2025. In 2026, a reduction of 2.5 per cent, or $68,750, will bring the youth subsidy to 42.5 per cent.
Community benefit agreement review
One-time funding of $60,000 in 2025 for an external consultant to support a review of the CBA program. The review includes CBA governance, process, and budgeting, as well as existing CBAs including alignment to strategic plan and evaluation frameworks with recommendations for improvement.
Transit route 5
Funding of $389,000 in both 2025 and 2026 following the approved staffing phase-in strategy to increase the frequency (15 mins weekdays, 20 mins weekends) on route 5. This service expansion is only for eight months of the year, required during the months of January to April and September to December when the University of Guelph is in session. For 2025, this service will begin in September due to the onboarding processes.
Free transit for high school during summer
Pilot project to expand free transit to high school students during the summer (July and August) for a total cost of $30,000.
Free transit for some via affordable bus pass program
Additional funding of $143,000 to eliminate the cost of transit for applicants who qualify for Tier A and Tier B of the Affordable Bus Pass Program.
Proactive forestry works
Reinstating the reduction to the budget for proactive forestry works to $200,500.
Bicentennial
Restoring funding for the bicentennial celebrations in the amount of $103,000 in 2025, to be funded by the tax base. It is the expectation that this is a community event and this contribution from the City can help enlist other community support for Guelph’s 200th anniversary of settlement.
Increase to capital funding transfer
A total increase of $150,000 in the capital funding transfer is necessary to build the capacity for additional capital projects in 2025.
Changes to the capital budget would require additional taxpayer funding or be covered by shifting out other projects, the release states.
They are:
Advance crosswalk at Margaret Greene Park
This crosswalk will be advanced in 2025 in exchange for a crosswalk on York Road, which will be shifted to 2026. There is no budget impact resulting from this reprioritization.
Culture plan
New investment to conduct an in-depth cost analysis to realize the full scope required to implement the seven-year Culture Plan 2030 presented to council in October. This project requires tax-supported capital funding of $75,000 to initiate the action planning.
Trails capital investment
Reinstate $75,000 in tax-supported capital funding in 2025, and an additional $15,000 in 2026, to advance accessibility in parks. This would allow people to travel to our playground structures via accessible pathways and not on grass. This investment would reinstate parks funding of $75,000 in 2025, $90,000 in 2026, and $87,500 in 2027 in capital project PK0125, as presented in the 2024- 2027 multi-year budget.
Veteran’s crosswalk
The installation of a veteran’s crosswalk. There is no budget impact as this will be funded through the reprioritization of the transportation and operations workplans.
In addition to higher property taxes, the budget alterations are supported by assessment growth in the city. A 1.15 per cent increase was anticipated in the draft budget, but that’s now been confirmed at 1.34 per cent, the mayor’s post notes.
That’s an increase of $3.7 million in revenue for the city.
Council will hear public delegations regarding the budget on Tuesday, during a special budget meeting set to begin at 6 p.m.
Councillors have an opportunity to propose and consider amendments during another special meeting, this time on Nov. 27.
The mayor then has 10 days to veto any amendments approved by council.
If no vetoes are issued, the budget is considered adopted.
Should the mayor veto one or more amendments, council has until Dec. 18 to override that decision with at least two-thirds support, meaning nine of 13 votes on council
Anyone wanting to register to speak to council during delegation night, or provide written comments for council’s consideration, must do so by 10 a.m. this Friday.
To register, visit guelph.ca/delegation, call 519-837-5603 or email [email protected].
