The City of Mississauga is inviting you to participate by asking for your input regarding the upcoming 2018 city budget via their Budget Allocator tool.

With $363.66 million to work with in 2018, there are several crucial decisions to be made about the future of our city. From infrastructure, to transit, to recreation, to roads and so many other aspects of a thriving city, Mississauga's 2018 (well, every year, really) budget will help shape our future.

Results and comments received by November 1st, 2017 will be shared with the Budget Committee on November 20 to inform deliberations on the City’s 2018 budget.

We asked Mayor Crombie a few questions about the upcoming budget to give you more information about our next forward step as a world-class city.

1. What benefits do residents have for spending the time to use the Budget Allocator?

The budget allocator is a great way for residents to tell us their spending priorities, and to learn about the cost of City services. It helps residents understand the challenges we face in paying for the day-to-day services people rely on the most, such as road maintenance, public transit, recreation programs and parks. All submissions and comments received by November 1 are considered prior to our budget discussions that start on November 20.

2. Does the City really take reader feedback into consideration?

Yes. We consider all the comments received prior to our budget discussions that take place in November. The feedback we receive also helps us understand whether residents prefer the City spend more to maintain and increase our services, or spend less and potentially reduce our service levels.

3. I have additional questions about the upcoming 2018 Budget; should I connect with my Ward Councilor to address them?

There are several ways to get your questions answered. You can contact your Ward Councillor or email us at budget@mississauga.ca. You can also post a question to our website or attend a Budget Committee meeting.

4. For people outside of Wards 2 and 9, why aren't there community meetings for their Wards?

Community meetings are just one way residents can get involved in the City’s budget. Residents can sign up to participate in telephone budget sessions taking place on October 18 (Wards 2 and 6) and October 26 (Wards 3 and 4). Community groups in Mississauga can request a meeting on our website.
Residents can also contact their Ward Councillor.

5. If there's a budget surplus, where do those extra funds go?

Past practice has seen Council allocate the surplus to various reserves and reserve funds to deal with priority needs, such as maintaining our aging infrastructure.
Decisions on the allocations are made annually and may vary from year to year.

6. Can anyone utilize the budget allocator, or is it only for permanent residents of Mississauga?

Anyone can try the budget allocator. We encourage anyone who lives, works or has an interest in our great City to try the budget allocator tool and have their say on the City’s budget.