Special Council Meeting Revised Agenda

Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 7:00 P.m. - 9:00 P.m.

Council Chambers

Whitby Town Hall

To Consider and Potentially Adopt the 2024 Operating and Capital Budgets

 

For more information on the 2024 Budget, please visit connectwhitby.ca/budget.

 

This meeting will be available for viewing through the Town’s live stream feed while the meeting is in progress. Please visit whitby.ca/CouncilCalendar for more information about the live stream and archived videos.

 

This meeting will be held in a hybrid in-person and virtual format. In accordance with Section 7 of Procedure By-law # 7462-18, Members of Council may choose to attend in-person or participate virtually.

 

Should you wish to provide comments regarding a matter being considered below, please submit written correspondence and/or a Delegation Request Form.

 

• To submit written correspondence, please email your correspondence to the Office of the Town Clerk at  by noon on the day of the meeting. Correspondence must include your full name, address, and the item on the agenda that your correspondence is related to.
• To speak during the Council meeting either in-person or virtually, please submit a Delegation Request Form online to the Office of the Town Clerk by 10 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Should you be unable to access a computer, please call 905.430.4315 to speak with a Staff Member in the Office of the Town Clerk.

 

A Revised Agenda may be published on a later date. Late items added or a change to an item will appear with an asterisk beside them.

---

1.

Call To Order: The Mayor

2.

Call of the Roll: The Clerk

3.

Declarations of Conflict of Interest

4.

Presentations

4.1

Opening Remarks by Councillor Shahid, Chair of Finance

5.

Delegations

5.1

Thyagi DeLanerolle, Resident (In-Person Attendance)

Re: FS 03-24, Financial Services Department Report

Recommended 2024 Operating and Capital Budget

Refer to Item 6.2, FS 03-24

5.2

Ashley Collins, Resident (Virtual Attendance)

Re: FS 03-24, Financial Services Department Report

Recommended 2024 Operating and Capital Budget

Refer to Item 6.2, FS 03-24

5.3

George Gadanidis, Resident (In-Person Attendance)

Re: FS 03-24, Financial Services Department Report

Recommended 2024 Operating and Capital Budget

Refer to Item 6.2, FS 03-24

5.4

Jonathan Friel, President, Whitby Professional Firefighters Association (In-Person Attendance)

Re: FS 03-24, Financial Services Department Report

Recommended 2024 Operating and Capital Budget

Refer to Item 6.2, FS 03-24

6.

Consideration of the 2024 Operating and Capital Budgets

6.1

FS 04-24, Financial Services Department Report

Re: Reporting Requirement Per Ontario Regulation 284/09 – 2024 Budget

• Recommendation:
  1. That Report FS 04-24 be received;
  2. That the full accrual accounting amounts identified in Report FS 04-24 be approved and included as budget figures in the December 31, 2024 audited financial statements; and,
  3. That the Treasurer be authorized to make the required amendments to the budget figures in the Town’s audited financial statements for any technical adjustments or amendments to the Town’s 2024 budget approved by Council. 

6.2

FS 03-24, Financial Services Department Report

Re: Recommended 2024 Operating and Capital Budget

See also Memorandum from E. Watson, Manager of Development Finance, dated February 9, 2024 regarding Corrections to the 2024 Budget Book

• Recommendation:
  1. That the 2024 Operating Budget be approved at a net Town tax levy increase of $5,938,856 (to a total tax levy of $127,071,122 inclusive of estimated assessment growth) representing a 4.9% average residential increase to the Town levy or an estimated 1.7% increase to the overall Whitby residential tax bill;
  2. That the Town’s 2024 operating budget, in the gross expense budget amount of $175,254,182 be approved inclusive of:
     1. The Budget Decision Items #1 to #33 as shown in Attachment 4 of Report FS 03-24;
     2. A tax-based increase of $500,000 to the Town’s Asset Management Reserve Fund and $500,000 to the Town’s Growth Reserve Fund; and
     3. Funding from the revenue sources identified in Table 2 of report FS 03-24;
  3. That ten (10) full-time firefighters be pre-approved in the 2025 Operating Budget;
  4. That the proposed user fee increases, and new fees as identified in Attachment 3 of report FS 03-24 be approved and staff be directed to bring forward a by-law to amend the Fees and Charges By-law;
  5. That the 2024 Capital Budget, in the gross capital budget amount of $83,961,117, identified in Attachment 5, be approved and funded from the sources identified in Table 3 of report FS 03-24;
  6. That the Treasurer’s update of the Town’s projected debt servicing charges as it impacts the Town’s Annual Repayment Limit for all previously approved debentures and the proposed debentures, outlined in Staff Report FS 03-24, be received;
  7. That the $11,246,392 of proposed 2024 capital projects outlined in Table 1 of Report FS 03-24 be funded from debentures, to be issued through the Region of Durham, following substantial completion of each project;
  8. That in accordance with s.s. 5(1) of the Development Charges Act, and S. 5 of Ontario Regulation 82/98, it is Council’s clear intention that any excess capacity provided by any of the capital projects will be paid for by future development charges;
  9. That any donations, grants or subsidies applied in the 2024 capital program to projects with development charges funding are to offset the non-growth related costs of those projects, where allowable and applicable;
  10. That the transfers to and from reserves and reserve funds as identified in Attachment 6 of report FS 03-24 be approved;
  11. That if the actual net taxable assessment growth is different than the estimated assessment growth of $2,295,956, any excess be transferred to the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve, or any shortfall be transferred from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve;
  12. That the 2025 to 2033 capital forecast in the amount of $1,342,139,547 be received for information and subject to future annual reviews as part of the capital budget process; and,
  13. That Sub-Section 2.3 of By-law #7856-22, related to the Town’s Low-Income Seniors and Low-Income Persons with Disabilities Tax Rebate Program, be amended to increase the rebate from $472 (in 2023) to $500 (in 2024) as outlined in Report FS 03-24.

7.

By-laws

• Recommendation:

  That leave be granted to introduce By-law # 8048-24 and # 8049-24 and to dispense with the reading of the by-law by the Clerk and that the same be considered read and passed and that the Mayor and the Clerk sign the same and the Seal of the Corporation be thereto affixed.

7.1

By-law # 8048-24

Being a By-law to amend the Fees and Charges By-law # 7220-17, as amended.

Refer to FS 03-24, Recommended 2024 Operating and Capital Budget

7.2

By-law # 8049-24

Being a By-law to Adopt the 2024 Operating and Capital Budgets.

Refer to FS 03-24, Recommended 2024 Operating and Capital Budget

8.

Confirmatory By-law

• Recommendation:

  That leave be granted to introduce a by-law and to dispense with the reading of the by-law by the Clerk to confirm the proceedings of the Council of the Town of Whitby at its special meeting held on February 15, 2024 and the same be considered read and passed and that the Mayor and the Clerk sign the same and the Seal of the Corporation be thereto affixed.

9.

Adjournment

• Recommendation:

  That the meeting adjourn.