Special Council meeting (2025 budget deliberations), December 4, 2024
Attendance
Mayor Danielle Okafor-Price presided. Councillors Marcus Lindqvist, Priya Raman, Tom Beaudry, Grace Whitlock, Arjun Sidhu, and Helen Marchetti were present. City Manager Robert Eng and City Clerk Nadia Kowalczyk attended to support the meeting. The session was livestreamed online for residents who could not attend in person.
Delegations
Two delegations spoke before the council. A representative from the Downtown Wrenford BIA presented on the need for improved winter maintenance along Market Square. A resident from the Kingfisher neighbourhood shared feedback on transit fares and accessibility services.
Reports and decisions
- 2025 Operating Budget Review — Council reviewed the preliminary operating budget and agreed to keep the residential property tax increase cap at 2.5 per cent for the coming year. Carried 7-0. This decision affects your annual property tax bill and helps fund essential services like road maintenance and waste collection.
- Capital Budget Priorities — The council reviewed proposed road and water infrastructure projects. The Larch Heights street resurfacing project has been moved to 2026 to keep the budget balanced. Carried 6-1.
- Transit Funding — A supplemental allocation of $150,000 was approved for the Wrenford Access specialized transit program. Carried 5-2.
- Public Hearing Schedule — The council set January 14, 2025, as the date for the 2025 budget public hearing. You can review the full budget package and ask questions at that time. Carried 7-0.
By-law
No by-law was passed at this meeting.
Adjournment
Mayor Okafor-Price adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m.