The annual Business Plan & Budget outlines how the City plans to allocate resources to deliver the programs and services residents and businesses rely on every day. Barrie taxes are comparable to other municipalities. The City is required by provincial law to balance its operating and capital budgets each year. Simply put, the money raised must balance the money spent. Learn about balancing the budget.
Following a number of amendments to the proposed 2023 Business Plan and Budget, Council approved the City’s portion of the 2023 Budget on February 15, 2023. City Council froze spending on City Hall's Operating Budget this year, while also increasing the contribution to the Dedicated Infrastructure Renewal Fund to 2% for the next three years (1% will be funded through the City’s reinvestment reserve). The service partner portion of the Budget was approved on March 8, 2023, with a 1.89% increase.
2023 Budget Highlights
- Additional recreational opportunities with the re-opening of the Allandale Recreation Centre, East Bayfield Community Centre and Peggy Hill Team Community Centre during summer weekends
- Funding for additional snowplows and drivers
- Increased cleaning for the washrooms at the waterfront parks on weekends and holidays
- More traffic calming measures across the city to create safer roads
- Resurfacing of approximately 12.4 kilometres of roads
- Widening Essa Road from four lanes to six from Bryne Drive/Ardagh Road to Fairview Road
2023 Budget Key Dates
| December 2, 2022 | Public consultation opened through the Budget Allocator Tool |
|---|---|
| January 6, 2023 | Public consultation closed |
| February 1, 2023 | Service partner presentations (see below) |
| February 8 & 9, 2023 | Business Plan & Budget deliberations at General Committee |
| February 15, 2023 | City portion of the Business Plan & Budget approved by City Council |
| March 8, 2023 | Service partner portion of the Budget approved by City Council |
Presentations & Reports
Before budget approval, various presentations are given and a report is discussed regarding the proposed budget. Watch the meetings and access related materials:
Proposed 2023 Business Plan & Budget
Proposed 2023 Operating Budget
| Section | Pages |
|---|---|
| Table of Contents (PDF) | |
| Executive Summary (PDF) | (1–9) |
| Operating Budget & Financial Overview (PDF) | (10–56) |
| Service Areas: Operating Budget, Tax Rate (PDF) | (57–177) |
| Service Areas: Operating Budget, User Rate (PDF) | (178–185) |
| Service Partner Budget Support (PDF) | (186–223) |
| New Investment & Service Recommendations (PDF) | (224–274) |
| Efficiencies (PDF) | (275–282) |
| Proposed Fee Changes (PDF) | (283–325) |
| Glossary (PDF) | (326–332) |
Proposed 2023 Capital Budget
| Section | Pages |
|---|---|
| Table of Contents (PDF) | |
| Capital Plan Overview (PDF) | (1–14) |
| Capital Plan 2023–2032 (PDF) | (15–33) |
| Capital Plan Project Details (PDF) | (34–266) |