Residents invited to have their say until July 21

What Town of Whitby services are most important to you? Which would you prioritize if you were building Whitby’s 2024 Budget? These are questions the Town is asking residents and local businesses to answer as it launches community engagement to help build its 2024 Budget.

Each year, the Town undergoes an extensive budget planning process to prepare the annual municipal budget. Community engagement is an important part of this process, providing residents with multiple opportunities to share their budget priorities and inform each budget milestone.

Get Involved

Between now and July 21, the community is invited to learn more about the Town’s budget planning process and share their budget priorities at connectwhitby.ca/budget. Through the site, residents can access the Town’s Citizen Budget Tool – a virtual budget simulator that shows the financial impacts of participants’ choices in real time.

The launch of connectwhitby.ca/budget and the Citizen Budget Tool are part of the first phase of the Town’s budget engagement process. Subscribe at connectwhitby.ca/budget to stay informed on upcoming budget engagement opportunities.

“The budget is more than a series of numbers and figures. It’s a reflection of our shared values and priorities. It affects the daily lives of our residents – from the quality of our infrastructure to the delivery of essential services. It’s important to share your feedback and let us know what matters to you.”

-        Elizabeth Roy, Mayor, Town of Whitby

“Our community is growing, and fast, with many competing priorities for how we should invest in our future. We are also managing and planning for the continued and significant impacts of Ontario’s More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill 23) to our bottom line. This means it’s more important than ever that we hear from our community about their budget priorities so that we can continue to prioritize investments in areas that are important to them. I encourage everyone to get involved.”

-        Matt Gaskell, Chief Administrative Officer

Quick Facts

• Last year, nearly 3,500 people engaged in the Town’s Citizen Budget Tool. Top budget priorities identified by participants through the Tool included continuing the revitalization of the downtowns, creating more green spaces, and enhancing the quality of the Town’s indoor and outdoor facilities.
• Earlier this year, more than 3,000 people shared their feedback to help inform the Vision, Objectives, and Strategic Pillars of Whitby’s new Community Strategic Plan, which will also help to inform the Town’s budget investments.
• Key dates in the development of the 2024 Budget include: the release of the proposed 2024 Budget in January 2024 and the Budget Public Meeting and Final Approval of the Budget in February 2024.

More Information

Community members can subscribe to stay informed and engaged in this year’s budget process by visiting connectwhitby.ca/budget.

For media inquiries, contact:

Erin Mikaluk
Manager, Communications and Creative Services, Town of Whitby
Phone: 289.314.6913
Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca