Special City Council - Budget
Revised Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 9:00 A.m. - 5:00 P.m.

Council Chambers

Guelph City Hall, 1 Carden Street

Changes to the original agenda are noted with an asterisk "*".

Special Council meetings are live streamed at guelph.ca/live.

To listen to the meeting over the phone, call 1-416-216-5643 and enter access code 2346 823 0776.

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1.

Call to Order - 9:00 a.m.

2.

Authority to move into closed meeting

That the Council of the City of Guelph now hold a meeting that is closed to the public, pursuant to the Municipal Act, to consider:

2.1

Call to Order (closed meeting)

2.2

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof (closed items)

2.3

10C/Farmers Market Contractual Obligations

Section 239(2) (f) and (k) advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose and a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board.

3.

Closed Meeting Summary

4.

Open Meeting - 9:30 a.m.

4.1

O Canada

4.2

Silent Reflection

4.3

Indigenous Territorial Acknowledgement

4.4

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof

5.

Suspension of Procedure Bylaw to Permit Correspondence

• 1. That Section 4.9 (a) of the City of Guelph Procedure Bylaw be suspended to permit correspondence submitted by November 24, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. to be received and added to the public record in relation to item 6 Guelph’s 2024-2027 Mutli-Year Budget.

6.

2024-2027 Multi-Year Budget

6.1

Guelph's 2024-2027 Multi-Year Budget

In accordance with Section 284.16 of the Municipal Act (the Act), City Council may vote to amend the proposed 2024-2027 Multi-year Budget noted below. The 2024-2027 Multi-year Budget will be deemed adopted following the process of amendment, veto and override described in the Act. Accordingly, no mover or seconder is required to bring the proposed 2024-2027 Multi-year budget forward for debate.

• 1. A 2024 operating budget with a gross expenditure budget of $556,280,013 with a 2024 property tax and payment-in-lieu of taxes levy requirement of $329,828,159 or 10.32 per cent over 2023 inclusive of the following:
     1. City service budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2024 of $14,700,752 or 4.97 per cent.
     2. Local Boards and Shared Services budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2024 of $5,872,283 or 1.98 per cent.
     3. A Provincial housing, homelessness, and hospital budget requirement, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2024 of $9,969,945 or 3.37 per cent.
     4. 2024 user fees, rates, and charges.
  2. A 2024 capital budget in the gross expenditure amount of $208,666,722, inclusive of funding transfers from capital reserve funds and other sources including partnerships, grants, and debt financing.
  3. A 2025 operating budget with a gross expenditure budget of $599,947,552 with a 2025 property tax and payment-in-lieu of taxes levy requirement of $364,197,218 or 9.38 per cent over 2024 inclusive of the following:
     1. City service budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2025 of $21,136,498 or 6.41 per cent.
     2. Local boards and shared services budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2025 of $6,399,367 or 1.94 per cent.
     3. A Provincial housing, homelessness, and hospital budget requirement, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2025 of $3,040,170 or 1.03 per cent.
     4. 2025 user fees, rates, and charges.
  4. A 2025 capital budget in the gross expenditure amount of $234,129,280, inclusive of funding transfers from capital reserve funds and other sources including partnerships, grants, and debt financing.
  5. A 2026 operating budget with a gross expenditure budget of $647,249,988 with a 2026 property tax and payment-in-lieu of taxes levy requirement of $399,946,642 or 8.67 per cent over 2025 inclusive of the following:
     1. City service budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2026 of $22,069,306 or 6.06 per cent.
     2. Local boards and shared services budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2026 of $8,018,181 or 2.20 per cent.
     3. A Provincial housing, homelessness, and hospital budget requirement, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2026 of $1,473,670 or 0.40 per cent.
     4. 2026 user fees, rates, and charges.
  6. A 2026 capital budget in the gross expenditure amount of $338,394,567, inclusive of funding transfers from capital reserve funds and other sources including partnerships, grants, and debt financing.
  7. A 2027 operating budget with a gross expenditure budget of $688,808,424 with a 2027 property tax and payment-in-lieu of taxes levy requirement of $431,233,766 or 6.67 per cent over 2026 inclusive of the following:
     1. City service budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2027 of $19,355,854 or 4.84 per cent.
     2. Local boards and shared services budget requirement, net of the proportionate share of assessment growth, totalling an increased net levy requirement in 2027 of $6,635,252 or 1.66 per cent.
     3. A Provincial housing, homelessness, and hospital budget requirement, totalling an increased net levy requirement in $696,630 or 0.17 per cent.
     4. 2027 user fees, rates, and charges.
  8. A 2027 capital budget in the gross expenditure amount of $482,381,206, inclusive of funding transfers from capital reserve funds and other sources including partnerships, grants, and debt financing.
  9. A 2028-2033 Capital forecast in the gross amount of $1,918,985,045.

6.2

2024-2027 Multi-Year Budget Companion Report - Council Budget Decisions, 2023-370

• Recommendation
  1. That the 2024-2027 rates, fees and charges be approved, subject to amendments during the budget confirmation years.
  2. That the Downtown Guelph Business Association budget be approved, subject to any amendments in budget confirmation years, as follows:
     1. A 2024 budget with gross expenditures of $697,955 and a total levy of $700,194.
     2. A 2025 budget with gross expenditures of $686,480 and a total levy of $721,200.
     3. A 2026 budget with gross expenditures of $706,055 and a total levy of $672,836.
     4. A 2027 budget with gross expenditures of $726,655 and a total levy of $695,121.
  3. That in accordance with the General Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy, total transfers to and from reserves and reserve funds for 2024 to 2027 are approved, subject to amendments during the confirmation budget years.
  4. That the following reserves and reserve fund changes be approved, and Appendix A of the Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy be amended accordingly:
     1. Contaminated Sites Reserve Fund (155) be renamed to Brownfield Renewal Reserve Fund
     2. City Building Reserve Fund (159) be renamed to Service Enhancement Reserve Fund, and
     3. Industrial Land Reserve (332) be renamed to Strategic Property Reserve and that the purpose and terms be updated to broaden the source and use of funds.
  5. That Council acknowledges the City’s operating contingency reserve balances are below approved targets, and that staff be directed to replenish these reserves as a first priority through the allocation of year-end surplus until such point that they reach a minimum of 75 per cent of target over the multi-year budget period.
  6. That Council acknowledges that the 2025 to 2033 Capital Budget and Forecast is creating reserve fund deficits and that staff be directed to balance the capital budget and forecast within available funding and report back to Council on the changes required through the 2025 budget confirmation.
  7. That staff be directed to report quarterly on the actual development charge collections and exemptions and overall funded status of the development charge reserve funds through the budget monitoring reports effective immediately as part of the third quarter 2023 reporting.

7.

Shortening the 30-Day Budget Amendment Period

• 1. That the 30-day budget amendment period prescribed in Ontario Regulation 530/22 Section 7 (3) be shortened and the final day for amendments be November 29th, 2023. 

8.

Adjournment