Each year, the City of Burlington reviews our annual budget to make sure there are funds to support City operations and deliver the programs and services needed to keep the high quality of life we enjoy in our community.
Budgets are more than dollars and cents. They impact residents directly through the many City programs and services you receive. Each time you have your road plowed, use a City park or trail, or cool off in a municipal pool or splash pad, you are seeing your tax dollars at work.
2024 Budget
On Nov. 28, 2023, Burlington City Council approved the 2024 budget, focused on essentials, front line services and preparing for growth. The property tax bill is made up of three portions, the City of Burlington (50.5%), Halton Region (32.8%), and the Boards of Education (16.7%).
The City's portion of the overall tax increase is 4.99%. When blended with Halton Region's forecasted increase and no change to the Boards of Education, the overall tax increase is 6.68%. This translates to $57.53 increase per $100,000 of urban residential assessment.
Past budgets |
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Our budget books are posted as inaccessible PDF documents. If you require them in an alternative format or with communication supports, please submit an Accessible Document and Communication request. Alternatively, you can view our Budget Open Data application, which displays the City's budget data in an accessible, easy-to-understand format using charts, tables and graphs.
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How the Budget works
Budgets can be thought of as two-sided roadmaps. On one side, they help us look ahead, and make changes and decisions based on new information and shifting priorities. The other side allows us to evaluate our past assumptions, projections and decisions as the Budget develops .
When we develop the City's Budget, we look for a balance between the financial demands within the community and the facilities and services that you rely upon and use. Our job is to effectively manage the costs, while giving the best possible value to you, our taxpayers.
The Budget tells our city's financial story and set spending targets for municipal programs, services and initiatives. It is an important element in the accountability cycle and provides a standard against which our performance can be measured.
Budget Basics |
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Have you ever wondered how the City of Burlington determines its annual Budget? Our Budget Basics video helps answer this question! |
Long-term Financial Planning |
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Learn more about the City's strategic financial objectives and how they help manage the City's finances while planning for the future. |
Budget Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Review our frequently asked questions (FAQs) to learn more about the Budget.
What are Budget documents? |
| Budget documents tell a city's financial story and set spending targets for municipal programs, services and initiatives. The Budget is an important element in the accountability cycle and provides a standard against which later performance can be judged. |
What is a Capital Budget and Forecast? |
A Capital Budget and Forecast is where the City plans for upcoming years and identifies how to pay for City infrastructure projects, such as road reconstruction, park improvements and public buildings. |
What pays for the Capital Budget? |
The City relies on several funding sources, some that occur each year and others that are one-time funds. These funding sources include:
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What are capital projects? |
A capital project is a project that helps maintain or improve a City asset, often called infrastructure. It includes:
Project costs can include:
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Who determines what is included in the Capital Budget? |
During the Capital Budget process, we consider:
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What is an Operating Budget? |
| The Operating Budget encapsulates the City's plans for day-to-day operations, including salaries, utilities and supplies to deliver City services. |
What pays for the Operating Budget? |
The Operating Budget is mainly funded from property taxes, but it can also include revenues from:
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Who decides how my City taxes are spent? |
| Burlington City Council ultimately decides how taxes are spent, based on feedback from community stakeholders, including taxpayers, and recommendations from City staff. Most City taxes collected go to the Operating Budget (about 75 per cent). The rest go to the Capital Budget (about 25 per cent). |
Where are my tax dollars spent? |
| We collect property taxes on behalf of both Halton Region and the school boards. Of your property taxes, approximately 49 per cent funds City services, 33 per cent funds the Region and 18 per cent funds the school boards. The City's share of taxes pays for municipal services, such as: Halton Region's share of taxes pays for regional services, such as:
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If there is a budget surplus, where does it go? |
| Provincial legislation dictates that municipal budgets in Ontario must be balanced annually. The City cannot budget for a surplus or deficit. To ensure a municipality's long-term stability and protection against unforeseen circumstances (i.e., snowstorms, flooding, etc.), legislation allows municipalities to allocate surplus funds to reserve funds. |
I don't take the bus/use the parks/walk on the trails/use the arenas. Why should I pay for these services? Why can't I just pay for what I use? |
| Depending on the stage in your life and your interests, you will use City services differently. Whether we use them or not, we all pay for the many services that the City must provide. If you don't drive a car, you still pay for roads. If you don't use our parks, a portion of your taxes are still used for their upkeep. If you do not have school-aged children, you still pay education taxes. |
How are house values assessed? |
| The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) assesses all properties in Ontario. The assessed value is based on valid property sales in your community. This method of assessment is called the Current Value Assessment. Visit MPAC's website for more information. |
What date is my house value based on? |
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Learn about the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's (MPAC) assessment update postponement.
As part of the Province of Ontario's Budget on March 24, 2021, the Minister of Finance announced the Province's decision to once again postpone a province-wide property assessment update due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Property assessments for the 2022 property tax year will continue to be based on Jan. 1, 2016 current values. |
How do I know if my assessment is correct? |
| To find out if your assessed value is accurate, simply ask yourself: could you have sold your property for its assessed value on Jan. 1, 2016? If the answer is yes, then your assessed value is probably correct. |
Can I check or compare the assessment on my neighbour's property? |
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Yes, you can get detailed information about your property and up to 24 additional properties of your choice, and up to six selected by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) at no cost. Visit MPAC to learn how to compare property values or contact MPAC's customer service for more information. What should I do if I don't agree with my assessment? Learn what to do if you disagree with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's (MPAC) assessment. |
Will my taxes go up based on my new assessment? |
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As a general rule, if your percentage increase year over year is larger than the average municipal change (4.5 per cent), you may experience an increase due to the reassessment. If your percentage change is relatively close to the average, you may not experience an assessment-related tax increase or decrease. If your percentage change is less than the average, you may experience an assessment-related tax decrease. You can simply calculate if you have had an assessment-related increase by multiplying your interim tax bill by two and comparing it to your prior year's total tax bill. |
How is my tax bill calculated? |
| Your tax bill is determined by multiplying your assessment by the tax rates determined by the City, Halton Region and the Province of Ontario (education). |