2025 Belleville Capital Budget updates

May 14, 2024 – 2025 Preliminary Budget Survey

Purpose: engage stakeholders in the early stages of the budget process and allow them to provide their feedback on operational and capital spending priorities, as well as the overall approach to budget development. The results of the survey will be presented to the Finance Committee and Council to assist with the development of guidelines for budget preparation later this year.

Residents can provide feedback on spending priorities and the overall approach to budget development. The results of the survey will be used to develop guidelines for budget preparation.

Complete the 2025 Preliminary Budget Survey here.

1. Do you live and/or own a business in Belleville? 

• I am a homeowner
• I am a business owner
• I am a tenant
• One or more of the above
• None of the above (please specify)

2. What is your tax billing area?

• Belleville Urban
• Belleville Rural
• Cannifton Urban
• Cannifton Rural

3. How old are you?

• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55-64
• 65+
• Prefer not to answer

4. What is your annual gross household income? 

• Less than $50,000
• $50,000 to $100,000
• $100,000 to $150,000
• $150,000 to $250,000
• $250,000+
• Prefer not to answer

5. How familiar are you with how the City develops the annual Capital and Operating Budgets? 

• Very familiar
• Somewhat familiar
• Not at all familiar

6. Due to the increased cost of maintaining service levels and supporting infrastructure, the City must balance property taxes with increasing demand for services. The City has a number of options when balancing the budget. Please indicate which of the following statements comes close to capturing your point of view: 

• Increase taxes to an extent that maintains tax-funded services.
• Maintain taxes, even if it means reducing some discretionary tax-funded services.
• Decrease taxes by reducing discretionary tax-funded services.
• Increase taxes to expand and/or enhance tax-funded services.

7. For each of services listed below that are directly or indirectly provided by the City, please indicate whether the level of service should be increased, maintained, or decreased.

• Building, planning, and development
• Bylaw enforcement
• Community Events
• Doctor Recruitment
• Economic development
• Firefighting and fire prevention
• Greenspaces (parks and playgrounds, sports fields)
• Heritage, museums, and cultural events
• Information technology
• Library services
• Long-term care (externally contracted)
• Parking
• Policing
• Public transit
• Recreation (arenas, camps, aquatics, fitness)
• Road and sidewalk maintenance
• Social Housing (externally contracted)
• Stormwater management
• Traffic and pedestrian safety (streetlights and signs)
• Winter maintenance (snowplowing, sanding, and salting)
• Waste and recycling collection (externally contracted)
• Water and wastewater services

8. The following services are partially funded user fees.
Please identify which service(s) you would support an increase in user fees to reduce reliance on property taxes (select all that apply) 

• Arenas
• Museum & Culture Services
• Recreation Programs
• Pools
• Sports Fields
• Transit (only applicable to Belleville Urban tax billing area)
• Garbage Bag Tags
• Dog Tags/Licenses/Permits
• None of the above

9. The City prepares Annual Departmental Plans each year in conjunction with the Operating budget process.

This document provides a comprehensive overview of past accomplishments, strategic objectives, operational goals, key initiatives, and budget projections for the upcoming year: City of Belleville 2024 Departmental Plans.

For the development of the 2025 Departmental Plans, staff and Council will be developing key performance indicators to be included in these plans.

Please select the types of performance metrics and departmental areas you believe are most relevant and beneficial for tracking performance. (select all that apply)

• Finance
• Fire Services
• Corporate Services
• Human Resources
• Engineering & Development Services
• Transportation & Operations Services
• Community Services
• Environmental Services
• Information Technology
• Economic Development
• Efficiency – expresses the resources used in relation to the number of units of service provided or delivered. Typically, this is expressed in terms of cost per unit of service.
• Customer services – expresses the quality of service delivered relative to service standards or the customer’s needs and expectations.
• Community impact – expresses the outcome, impact, or benefit that the City program has on the community in relation to the intended purpose or societal outcomes expected.
• Activity level – provides an indication of service/activity levels by the number of resources or the volumes of service delivered to ratepayers. Results are often expressed on a common basis, such as, the number of units of service provided per capita.
• Other (please specify)

10. The Capital Budget is the City’s plan for making large investments in infrastructure. Capital expenses include major maintenance to public buildings, construction or purchase of new buildings, purchase of major equipment, significant road resurfacing projects, water and wastewater infrastructure, and more.

In your opinion, how would you rank the following areas of the City’s capital investment? 

1. Adding to or expanding existing infrastructure to enhance levels of service (e.g., adding a new recreation facility or splash pad to serve existing ratepayers)
2. Renewing assets that support existing levels of service (e.g., rehabilitating or reconstructing a road).
3. Improving the responsiveness of City services (e.g., improving response time of ratepayer complaints regarding infrastructure).
4. Facilitating residential and non-residential growth (e.g., acquiring a new snowplow to service new subdivisions that would generate tax revenue).
5. Investing in other key priorities as outlined in the City’s Strategic Plan (e.g., reducing climate change impacts).

11. In accordance with the Asset Management Plan, the City must prioritize Capital projects to develop its 10-year capital plan. In your opinion, select the most important infrastructure areas. 

• Transportation (e.g., roads, streetlights, bridges)
• Water (e.g., treatment plant, water pipes)
• Wastewater (e.g., treatment plant, wastewater pipes)
• Stormwater (e.g., culverts, stormwater manholes)
• City Facilities (e.g., community & recreation centres, City Hall)
• Parks (e.g., playgrounds)Fire (e.g., firetrucks, fire stations)
• Police (e.g., patrol vehicles, police station)
• Fleet & Equipment (e.g., snowplows, lawnmowers)
• Information Technology (e.g., servers, computer equipment)
• Library (i.e., facility, books)Parking (i.e., parking lots, meters)

12. Would you like to sign up to receive ongoing updates on the City’s budget? 

• Yes
• No