Get involved!
Be involved. Be
informed. The City is developing its 2021 Budget and 2022 Financial Plan – and your
input is needed. Vaughan’s annual budget process is open and
transparent, with public consultation being a vital component. Three electronic-participation
public meetings are scheduled to take place in December to
discuss the 2021 Budget:
- Special Committee of the Whole (Budget): Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
- Special Committee of the Whole (Budget): Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.
- Special Council (Budget): Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
While Vaughan City Hall remains closed to the public, citizens can get involved by:
- speaking live via teleconference to Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and Members of Council during the meeting. To pre-register to be an electronic speaker, send a completed form (PDF) to clerks@vaughan.ca or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281. Participants will be provided instructions on how to connect to the meeting. A test meeting will also be held before every electronic-participation meeting to allow participants to test their connection and software. Members of the public can connect through their own computer, smartphone or tablet.
- speaking live from a telephone (regular landline or cellphone) during the meeting. To pre-register to be a telephone speaker, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@vaughan.ca or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281.
- submitting a written communication for review by Members of Council as part of an agenda item. All written communications can be emailed to the Office of the City Clerk at clerks@vaughan.ca.
- watching a livestream of the City’s budget meetings at vaughan.ca/LiveCouncil. A video feed will become available at the start of each meeting.
Meeting agendas can be found online at vaughan.ca/CouncilMeetings.
The City of Vaughan’s budget is built on the principles of integrity, accountability and responsibility. It is focused on keeping property tax rates low, respecting taxpayers’ money and delivering quality public services that residents, businesses and visitors rely on each day. The City’s 2021 Budget includes an operating budget and capital investments to support and advance the priorities in the Council-approved 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan. The City’s operating and capital budget have two distinct components: property tax-supported budget, and water, wastewater rate and stormwater-charge supported budget. The property tax budget funds the many programs and services families enjoy and expect, including garbage collection, snow clearing and fire prevention education. The water, wastewater and stormwater budgets fund water-related services to ensure the City can provide safe drinking water, collect wastewater effectively, manage stormwater to mitigate flooding and save for future infrastructure needs. Both budgets will be discussed at the upcoming meetings.
Public consultation
remains a vital part of the budget planning and development process. Beyond participating in public budget meetings, there are many other ways
to get involved in the budget process:
- Provide input through an online budget feedback form at vaughan.ca/budget.
- Join the conversation on the City’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages using #VaughanBudget2021.
- Email any questions or comments to the City at budgeting@vaughan.ca.
- Call 905-832-8610 to leave a message that will be shared with staff.
- Subscribe to the City’s eNewsletter for regular updates.
The
residential property tax bill may come in a City
of Vaughan envelope, but only 27 cents of every dollar stay with the City to
provide more than 200 programs and services. Despite the global COVID-19
pandemic, city-building has not slowed down. Essential services continue and staff have pivoted quickly
to also offer many programs and services online or via telephone. In terms of
tax allocation, 49 cents go to York Region for regional services, such
as health, social services, police and emergency medical services, 1 cent goes
to the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct Development
Levy and 23 cents go to the
Province of Ontario for education.
Vaughan has one of the lowest and most competitive tax
rates in the Greater Toronto Area. During the 2015 budget process, Council
committed that taxes would not increase by more than three per cent each year
over the next four years. The 2021 Budget builds on this commitment to prudent
fiscal management by maximizing the responsible use of every tax dollar
collected – in
fact, recently, Vaughan Council
approved staff’s plan
(PDF) to support Mayor Bevilacqua’s
Members Resolution
for a zero per cent property tax increase.
Vaughan’s comprehensive budget process is a
testament to the City’s sound approach to public finances and dedication to
accountable governance, a
priority outlined in the 2018-2022 Term of
Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan. Under this directive, the City aims
to:
- effectively pursue Service Excellence in governance and fiscal responsibility.
- hold the public’s trust through inclusive, transparent and accountable decision-making.
- undertake responsible financial management.
- have superior service delivery and effective communication.
For additional details on the City’s 2021 Budget process, visit vaughan.ca/budget. Browse Vaughan’s 2021 Budget Book and 2022 Financial Plan (PDF) for more information on what makes up the budget, what the budget funds and where your tax dollars go.
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