CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Stratford city council has passed the 2025 budget at the committee level, meaning there is still one more vote before it is officially passed, and residential tax rates are set to increase by 5.41 per cent.
After numerous budget meetings that started late last year, council voted to end deliberations at its Jan. 16 finance and labour relations committee meeting, but not before a spirited debate on its responsibilities.
Coun. Cody Sebben again made a motion to refer the budget back to staff to look for further efficiencies – a motion he has made every year of this term of council.
“I believe that we should be setting targets for staff at the outset of the budget process,” Sebben said. “That wasn't done, so I would like to refer the budget back to staff with the target of 4 per cent. … We should be more comfortable sending the budget back to staff than we should be asking residents to pay an increase.”
Just like in prior years, Sebben got little support from his fellow councillors. Coun. Lesley Biehn, Coun. Geza Wordofa and Mayor Martin Ritsma supported his defeated motion.
“We’re going to be pushing staff to start working on the 2026 budget in the coming months,” Coun. Brad Beatty said in response. “Be brave. If you really think that there’s money to be found, be brave. Find a $1 million; find the $2 million yourself. Put it out there; let’s talk about it. We can’t keep saying, ‘Can you find something else?’ They’ve already come to us with their best. Let’s move on.”
Since the draft budget was initially published, there have been numerous amendments made during council’s deliberations such as revisions and corrections the treasurer’s department has noted, but also additions and subtractions council voted to implement, including:
• Using $700,000 from the tax-stabilization reserve fund to bring down the levy increase.
• Using Municipal Accommodations Tax (MAT) revenues to fund $150,000 for Lights On Stratford, saving that money from the levy.
• Striking the costs to maintain the Normal School building in 2025, saving $250,000, given its potential sale this year.
• Deferring $60,000 for a traffic-study consultant.
• Approving an emergency exercise for Stratford’s first responders, expected to cost $50,000.
• A new supervisor of policy placemaking position, $76,296.
• Changing six casual recreation positions into permanent positions, $16,776.
• A new Ontario Works caseworker position, $21,730.
• A new bylaw enforcement officer position, $60,686.
• A new bylaw supervisor position, $68,705.
• A new financial services supervisor, $66,514.
• Two vehicles for the new bylaw staff, $110,300.
• An additional $45,000 to the CAO’s budget, as required, rather than the requested new communications coordinator position.
• A new backflow prevention officer position, $30,343.
Additionally, council approved a few other changes that will not impact the rise in tax rates. Instead, reserve funds or other savings are expected to fund these initiatives:
• Using MAT revenues to fund $150,000 for the Attainable Housing Incentive Community Improvement Plan.
• Supports to investStratford for its Grand Trunk endeavours.
• Two new electronic message board trailers.
• An additional mobility bus.
• A new facilities plumber position and vehicle.
• A new facilities electrician position and vehicle.
• A new water meter technician position.
The budget passed at the committee level, with Sebben, Wordofa and Ritsma opposed to moving it along. Coun. Mark Hunter was absent.
The decision over final approval will be before council at a later date. At any point before the budget bylaw is passed, council may revisit and revise it.
Just before adjournment, council discussed the pressures facing municipal governments – especially when other levels of government are downloading their responsibilities to them. Coun. Bonnie Henderson specifically highlighted the pressure the social services department faces, for instance.
In response, Coun. Taylor Briscoe asked staff to investigate the effect this downloading has on the municipality.
“That’s the information I would find valuable to get back from staff … that, if it gets cut, it should fall at the feet of the people who should bear the cost of that cut,” Briscoe said. “I also think it's incredibly important – not just for our awareness, but for the public's awareness. We are going to a vote within the next two to three months provincially and we need to be making informed decisions or, at the very least, asking the tough questions of how are we going to be supported so that we don't bear the final cost, and our taxpayers don't bear the final cost of those downloads?”
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