Dear Mayor & Council:
On behalf of the nearly 800 business Members of the Chamber, I appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed 2025 municipal operating budget for your consideration.
This year’s municipal budget deliberations are being held at a time of economic uncertainty as our businesses face the threat of U.S. tariffs that will be devastating for our businesses, workers and communities. We are also mindful of the challenges facing our two post-secondary institutions in the fall-out of immigration policy changes that limit opportunities for international students and the potential impacts of declining international enrollment to our community.
With the above challenges in mind, we welcome the prudent approach of the proposed 2025 municipal operating budget which limits the tax levy increase to 3.7%. We appreciate the significant effort of City administration in finding both savings and revenue growth opportunities including the development of a smart growth plan for our community. We also applaud the improved formatting of the budget documents which increase transparency and clarity of this essential information for all citizens.
We wish you well in your budget deliberations.