As we head into the fall, one of the most important tasks here at City Hall is to begin work on next year’s budget. Since the introduction of strong mayor powers last year, it is my responsibility as mayor to present the budget to council early in the new year. That process begins here in August, where just this week I’ve provided direction to staff on the key features of the 2025 City budget.
The overarching theme for this coming budget will be affordability. Individuals and families across Kingston continue to struggle with a higher cost of living, and that means it’s our responsibility to keep property tax increases as low as possible. To that end, I’ve directed staff to prepare a budget with an overall tax increase that is among the lowest of other large cities in Ontario and no higher than 3.4%. The inflation we’ve seen over the last couple of years means municipal services are more costly to provide. So, to keep property tax increases low, we need to prioritize the use of tax dollars. That means focusing on the basics, like fixing roads, maintaining parks, and delivering core services to residents. It also means taking a hard look at where every dollar is going, looking for efficiencies, and redirecting money where necessary to get the highest possible value from the taxes collected by the City.
At the same time, this budget will respond to the needs of a growing community, including more funding for public safety initiatives so that residents can feel secure and safely enjoy public spaces in our community. As our population continues to grow, we also need more housing, and that means directing new money into infrastructure that will enable more housing construction, and more affordable and transitional housing options. Of course, there’s a lot of other important investments that we include in the annual City budget, and if you have any input or ideas you think we should be thinking of, I’d like to hear from you. Until September 13, you can provide comments online at GetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca
By setting the right priorities and managing taxpayer dollars with care, we can lay a strong foundation for a thriving community, both now and into the future.