I am pleased to share that on July 15, Regional Council approved the 2021 Budget Directions Report. The Report lays the foundation for our next Budget by providing key guidelines to staff, such as maintaining existing service levels for Regional programs with identified pressures, including COVID-19. It also confirms our goal of keeping property tax increases at or below the rate of inflation (2.0 per cent) next year.
Halton has a proven track record of addressing program pressures, reallocating resources to priority areas and maintaining high-quality programs and services while maintaining tax rate increases at or below the rate of inflation.
We will continue to monitor current and potential impacts, work to keep taxes low in 2021 and provide the programs and services that so many residents and businesses rely on in Halton.
This Report guides the Region’s investments in 2021 to ensure resident access to essential services and supports critical program enhancements and financing plans to address community growth. It will also align with strategic themes, objectives and outcomes outlined in the 2019–2022 Strategic Business Plan.
Some of next year’s Budget priorities include investment in the following areas:
- Public Health: maintaining service levels while continuing to respond to COVID-19.
- Paramedic Services: addressing increased costs associated with inflation, rising call volumes, maintaining response times, population and other growth pressures.
- Children’s Services: maintaining service levels following reductions in Provincial funding and uncertainty around funding levels for 2021.
- Indigenous initiative, inclusion and diversity: creating an initiative with an Indigenous consultant that will support a comprehensive response to the Federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- Climate change emergency: continuing to make corporate operations as carbon neutral as possible, using land use and transportation planning to design climate friendly communities, designing and building climate resilient infrastructure, and planning to respond to weather related events and other emergencies.
- Community safety and well-being: continuing to deliver the objectives of the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWB) in collaboration with community partners on a wide range of issues to support residents who are vulnerable to negative social, economic or health outcomes.
- Waste Management: continued planning and implementation for the short-term options recommended in the Solid Waste Management Strategy, and planning for the transition of the Blue Box program to full Producer responsibility with integration into the medium and long-term strategy options of the recommended final Solid Waste Management Strategy.
- Transportation: investment to support increased costs associated with road maintenance, the road resurfacing program, and in the state-of-good-repair for existing roads and expansion to accommodate growth.
- Growth of the water and wastewater system: support for costs associated with upgrades and treatment plant expansions, further improvements to levels of treatment and new and expanded pumping stations.
- Basement flooding mitigation: continuation of the Region-wide Basement Flooding Mitigation Program to help prevent basement flooding caused by severe weather.
- Water and Wastewater state-of-good-repair: continuing to invest in the state-of-good-repair program to maintain the condition of assets as infrastructure ages and expands due to growth.
Backed by a strong AAA/Aaa financial position
Halton’s budgetary planning and performance depends on our AAA and Aaa credit ratings, and I am proud to share that we have earned this distinction from two international rating agencies this year—Moody’s Investors Service in January and S&P Global Ratings in June. S&P’s recent assessment recognized our strong leadership, fiscal policies and decision-making, and confirmed a stable outlook for our financial future.
Our top credit rating helps us finance major investments by providing Halton and the Local Municipalities with continued access to the best capital financing rates available. As a result, public funds go further when we invest in Regional works to improve the community, such as road, water and wastewater projects. This advantage is an essential part of the strong long-term financial position that helps us keep Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.
The 2021 Council Budget Meeting is scheduled for December 9, 2020, and the 2021 Budget and Business Plan is scheduled to be considered for approval by Regional Council on December 16, 2020. To read our 2021 Budget Directions Report or learn more about Regional financial planning, please visit halton.ca.