After months of waiting, Stratford made their budget official last night following some last-minute haggling. The end result is an increase that is just shy of $6 million for a total tax levy of $86,948,452 – raising the rate by 5.46 per cent from last year’s budget.
That number wound up being the final one after Coun. Bonnie Henderson requested that the expansion position of Community Energy Liaison (CEL) be put back into the 2025 budget to assist Stratford in meeting their climate goals. While few councillors disputed the need for the position, the vote wasn’t unanimous as both Couns. Mark Hunter and Lesley Biehn voted in opposition to its inclusion.
The cost of the position – $54,525 with the first year of the two-year pilot position being gapped – sparked debate on where the money to fund it would come from; Coun. Jo-Dee Burbach suggested it be paid for from the city’s municipal accommodation tax (MAT) reserves, while Coun. Larry McCabe countered with a proposal to pay for it from Stratford’s parking reserve funds (both motions were defeated). In the end, council voted to include the position unfunded by reserve, bringing the levy increase up from 5.39 per cent to 5.46.
During the meeting, Coun. Cody Sebben stated his support for the inclusion of the CEL position but later attempted to balance the scales by requesting the removal of several items. In citing several expansion items he wanted to see removed, Sebben said he didn’t feel right passing a budget where council didn’t do everything they could to make it as painless on the public as he thought possible.
“Some of those expansion items, when added up, come to just over $1.1 million which is just over one per cent of the budget,” he said. “We’re making people who can’t afford it pay for this.”
He followed up that request by asking council to consider removing $150,000 in expansion funding for the Stratford Lights On Festival, saying that while the funds would be coming out of the MAT reserves, that money could be better spent elsewhere in the city.
“I think there are many things that are wants and things that are absolutely necessary, and I don’t think everything that could have been done to bring the budget increase lower was done,” he said. “I don’t think a budget that asks people to pay $300 more is representing all the households. I voted for the inclusion of the energy liaison because I thought there were other things that could be taken out to balance it out. As deliberations went on, more things were added and very little was taken out. But the liaison is only a two-year commitment and it’s a very good investment for our community.”
Sebben asked for a recorded vote on adopting the budget, which resulted in a 7-4 split in favour. Mayor Martin Ritsma joined Sebben in voting against adopting it because he felt there was still a little meat on the bone that could’ve been addressed to get the city under his desired five per cent increase. He also pointed out that there is always an opportunity to revisit the budget down the road if the situation requires it.
“I’m happy that we’re taking a step forward with regards to responding to the next generation – the students who came here to request we include the energy liaison position,” he said. “They appealed to us as adults, saying we needed to champion the environment for us, so that cushions my disappointment of not getting below five … and we can take another look at the budget if we have to in the future. The situation around potential tariffs is still out there. I can’t be specific at this time about what we would do, but I think council is certainly aware of the fact that those are looming.”