Town of Oakville

Budget Committee

MINUTES

Meeting #:
Date:
Time:
-
Location:
Council Chamber
Mayor and Council:
  • Councillor Adams, Budget Chair
  • Mayor Burton
  • Councillor Elgar
  • Councillor Haslett-Theall
  • Councillor Chisholm
  • Councillor Duddeck
  • Councillor Gittings
  • Councillor Grant
  • Councillor Knoll
  • Councillor Lishchyna
  • Councillor Longo
  • Councillor McNeice
  • Councillor Nanda
  • Councillor Xie
Regrets:
  • Councillor O'Meara
Staff:
  • J. Clohecy, Chief Administrative Officer
  • P. Fu, Commissioner of Community Infrastructure
  • P. Damaso, Commissioner of Community Services
  • M. Mizzi, Commissioner of Community Development
  • S. Ayres, Commissioner of Corporate Services
  • J. Clarke, Director of Corporate Strategy and Government Relations
  • J. van der Heiden, Deputy Treasurer and Director of Finance
  • D. Stancovici, Manager of Financial Planning and Policy
  • W. Short, Town Clerk
  • N. Coric, Council and Committee Coordinator
Others:

  • Members of the Senior Leadership Team

The Budget Committee met in regular session, this 27th day of November, 2025, in the Council Chamber of the Oakville Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, commencing at time 6:30 p.m.

 

These minutes will go forward to the Council meeting of December 15, 2025, for approval. Please view those minutes to note any changes Council may have made.

1.
Regrets

 

As noted above.

2.
Declarations of Pecuniary Interest

 

No declarations of pecuniary interest were declared.

3.
Consent Items(s)

 

There were no Consent Items.

4.
Confidential Consent Item(s)

 

There were no Confidential Consent Items.

5.
Discussion Item(s)

 

5.1
2026 Budget Committee Recommendations to the Mayor

This item has attachments. 
1.2026 Budget Committee Recommendations to the Mayor - November 27, 2025.pdf
2.Appendix A - Draft 2026 Budget Recommendations to the Mayor.pdf
3.Appendix B – Budget Input from the Public.pdf
4.Appendix C - Summary of Requests and Staff Responses.pdf
5.Appendix D - Consulting Services.pdf
6.Appendix E - Veterans' Crosswalk.pdf
7.Appendix F - ASE Contracts.pdf
8.Appendix G - PXO Details.pdf
9.Appendix H - Transit Requests.pdf
10.Appendix I - Snow Removal Service.pdf
11.Appendix J - Stormwater Fee Non-Res Implementation.pdf
12.Appendix K - Worthington Park.pdf
13.Appendix L - TCRA Request on Pruning.pdf
14.Appendix M - Replacing and Counting Dead Trees.pdf
15.Appendix N - Stormwater 2026-2035 Capital Project Map.pdf
16.Appendix O - Downtown Digital Display Boards.pdf
17.Appendix P - Parking Garage Payment Machines.pdf
18.Appendix Q - Downtown Parking Wayfinding.pdf
19.Appendix R - Winter Washrooms Opening Earlier.pdf
20.Appendix S - Completion of the ASE program.pdf
21.Appendix T - Parks Capital Project.pdf
22.Appendix U - Morrison Wedgewood Diversion Channel Mitigation Study.pdf
23.MEMO - Updated Growth Figure.pdf

The following delegate spoke to this item: France Fournier, Oakville Chamber of Commerce.

  • Moved byCouncillor McNeice
    1. That the responses from staff on the requests from Budget Committee members be received.
    2. That the 2026 Budget Committee provide recommendations as shown in Appendix A to the Mayor on the 2026 budget.

    1. That the Mayor’s 2026 operating budget incorporate the following items:

    1. The inclusion of a Stormwater Fee for 2026, based on the following:
      1. That a three-year phase-in approach be used for the residential fee, beginning with a 50% discount in 2026,
      2. That a four-year phase-in approach be used for the non-residential fee, beginning with a 75% discount in 2026,
      3. That a credit program for non-residential properties be offered beginning in 2027,
      4. That stormwater fee revenue earned in 2026 be used to fund the stormwater operating costs of $2,286,400 which were previously included on the Town’s tax levy, (representing a 0.36% decrease to the overall tax levy) and that the remainder of the stormwater fee revenue be transferred to the Stormwater Management Reserve Fund to fund the stormwater capital program,
      5. That the Town’s share of the stormwater costs of $300,000 (0.05% increase to the overall tax levy) be added to the operating budget,
      6. That the capital levy transfer to the capital reserve be reduced by $10,000,000 (1.55% decrease to the overall tax levy), and
      7. That the 2026 budget request from Asset Management, including 7.0 FTE and materials and supplies totaling $716,000, be included in the 2026 budget and be funded by the stormwater fee.
    2. An increase in the Town’s capital levy from 1.0% to 1.75% to provide additional funding of $2,111,700 (0.33% increase to the overall tax levy) for the capital program to address upcoming funding pressures.
    3. An increase from 1.50% to 2.57% (or $3,012,700) in the assessment revenue growth recognition, based on new information from MPAC.
    4. A transfer to the Tax Stabilization reserve of $3,012,700 for the assessment revenue growth increase from MPAC.
    5. The inclusion of temporary staffing resources of $184,000 for 7 months for Municipal Enforcement Services and Legal to address the operational impacts of concluding the Automated Speed Enforcement program in 2026, to be funded by the Tax Stabilization Reserve.

    2. That the Mayor’s 2026 capital budget incorporate the following items:

    1. The inclusion of a Stormwater Fee for 2026, based on the following:
      1. That $13.8 million of 2026 existing infrastructure renewal capital projects identified in Table 1 of Appendix K to report 2026 Operating and Capital Budget, item 5.1 on the October 21, 2025 Budget Committee agenda, be funded from the Stormwater Management Reserve Fund,
      2. That $2.0 million of unfunded resiliency improvement capital projects for 2026, as identified in Table 2 of Appendix K to report 2026 Operating and Capital Budget, item 5.1 on the October 21, 2025 Budget Committee agenda, be funded from the Stormwater Management Reserve Fund,
      3. That $89.2 million of unfunded resiliency improvement capital projects in years 2027-2035 of the capital forecast, as identified in Table 2 of Appendix K to report 2026 Operating and Capital Budget, item 5.1 on the October 21, 2025 Budget Committee agenda, be included in the 10-year forecast, funded from the Stormwater Management Reserve Fund.
    2. A direction to staff to engage in public consultation on the request to convert the limestone trail to asphalt at Gladeside Pond and on the request for a playground at Worthington Park and that staff report back to Council on any recommendations, along with consideration for the Parks, Recreation, and Library Master Plan, in advance of the 2027 budget.
    3. The addition to capital project 52292603 Parks Growth Vehicles and Equipment of $677,800, to be funded by Parks/Recreation Development Charges.
    4. The addition of a new 2026 capital project for the Morrison Wedgewood Channel Diversion Mitigation Study in the amount of $600,000, to be funded by recoveries from Conservation Halton and from the Town’s Capital Reserve.
    5. A direction to staff that options for commemorating veterans through public displays, such as banners or other pole mounted displays, be considered and reported to Council in Q1 2026
    6. A direction to staff to review the current garden plot program and provide options to improve access to the program, inclusive of fees, plots available for use and options to expand, and wait list, and report to Council in Q1 2026.

    3. The impact of these proposed changes will result in a 0.47% increase on the Town’s tax levy or a 0.20% increase on the total tax bill. When combined with the expected increases for the Region (4.59% on the tax levy or 1.75% on the total tax bill) and education (0%), the total expected tax bill for 2026 will reflect an increase of 1.96% or $16.33 per $100,000 of assessment for a combined total property tax bill of $850.96 per $100,000 of assessment in 2026.

     

     

    CARRIED

6.
Confidential Discussion Item(s)

 

There were no Confidential Discussion.

7.
Adjournment

 

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m.

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