Kitchener Budget 2020

For the results of the Public Input Night on Monday, Jan 13, 2020, click here

For this year’s survey, we’re asking residents to weigh in on the allocation of $360,000 across four initiatives, and $3.5 million in funding across three initiatives.

Operating budget initiatives:

Community Grant Funding

The budget contains options to expand grants funding to new or emerging organizations in the areas of arts, culture, special events, sports, recreation or community development.

Click here to view the full explanation of the proposed options.

Option A - Status Quo $0
Option B - Account for population growth - $22,000
Option C - Account for population growth and community complexity - $39,000

Sustainable Urban Forest Strategy

Options related to the Sustainable Urban Forest Strategy offer increasing levels of proactive conservation and protection for our community’s tree canopy.

Managing our urban trees and forests is a long-term objective; making incremental improvements with a focus on the customer and a strong foundation of planning and management will be key to achieve the goals established by the community in the Sustainable Urban Forest Strategy.

Click here to view the full explanation of the proposed options.

Option A – Conserve and Protect- $50,000
Option B – Risk Mitigation & Inspection - $100,000
Option C – Tree Pruning / Proactive Maintenance - $200,000

Affordable Housing

The City is preparing an affordable housing strategy to better position itself to find solutions to growing unaffordability. The strategy is to be completed by the end of 2020. While the strategy is being developed there are existing opportunities to make progress on housing and there will likely be quick wins identified in 2020.

Homelessness & Housing Umbrella Group (HHUG) in partnership with Wellbeing Waterloo Region (WWR) is running an ALL IN 2020 campaign. The campaign is seeking to raise community awareness and resources to end chronic homelessness in Waterloo Region.

Click here to view the full explanation of the proposed options.

Option A - Contribution to ALL IN - $75,000
Option B - Contribution to All IN and $50,000 for quick wins - $125,000
Option C - Contribution to ALL IN and $125,000 for quick wins - $125,000

Leisure Access Card

The Leisure Access program provides financial assistance to residents living on low incomes who are accessing direct City of Kitchener programs. This funding cannot currently be applied to programs provided by affiliated organizations such as Neighbourhood Associations.

The budget contains an estimate for the cost of expanding the Leisure Access card to cover Neighbourhood Association fees.

Click here to view the full explanation of the proposed options.

Option A – Status Quo - $0
Option B - Leisure Access to cover Neighbourhood Association Fees - $143,000

For this year’s survey, we’re asking residents to weigh in on the allocation of $3.5 million in capital funding across three initiatives.

Capital budget initiatives:

Love My Hood

In 2017, following one of the most extensive community engagement processes in the City’s history, Council approved Love My Hood as the City’s guiding document for planning, building and supporting great neighbourhoods.

There were 161 applications submitted for resident-led neighbourhood projects between 2017 – 2019 totally 1.2 million, more than triple the grant funding actually awarded. Of those, 37 projects were deemed eligible but were denied due to a lack of funding. The funding proposals would increase the number of applications that could be approved through the Love My Hood program.

Click here to view the full explanation of the proposed options.

Option A – $150,000 per year for 10 years - $1,500,000
Option B – $175,000 per year for 10 years - $1,750,000
Option C – $200,000 per year for 10 years - $2,000,000

Corporate Climate Action Plan

In 2017, Council approved an 8% absolute Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction target to be achieved by 2026. The implementation plan (CorCAP), approved in 2019, contains a set of actions in the areas of City facilities, fleet, outdoor lighting and waste to meet the target. Using 2016 as a baseline, the City’s corporate GHG target is ambitious yet achievable with strategic investments in facilities, fleet and outdoor lighting. The recent declaration by Council of a climate emergency has further emphasized the commitment to implementing the City’s climate action goals.

Staff have identified a number of projects that could be implemented in 2020. Depending on Councils desired level of investment, all or some of the below projects would move forward and achieve carbon reductions and associated operating savings.

Click here to view the full explanation of the proposed options.

Option A - Fund three initiatives for a reduction of 149 tonnes of CO2 annually - $207,000
Option B - Fund five initiatives for a reduction of 218 tonnes of CO2 annually - $472,000
Option C - Fund five initiatives for a reduction of 331 tonnes of CO2 annually - $957,000

Participatory Budgeting

Participatory budgeting is a process of engaging the community where residents are given control over a portion of the City’s budget. It differs from traditional public engagement/consultation in that residents identify multiple priority projects and then decide which of the projects are funded. The ultimate decision by residents as to where and how funding will be spent is determined through some form of a vote.

The following are three options City Council could consider as part of the capital budget if it wishes to continue the participatory budgeting program. Staff believe taking a measured approach related to participatory budgeting would be appropriate and have suggested two options that secure funding for an additional three years. This would allow the City to test the modified approach outlined above before making any permanent funding commitments. If Council wishes to make participatory budgeting a permanent program, the final option funding for all 10 years of the capital forecast.

Click here to view the full explanation of the proposed options.

Option A - $300,000 per year for three years - $900,000
Option B - $400,000 per year for three years - $1,200,000
Option C - $300,000 per year for ten years - $3,000,000