Waterfront investment, improved municipal technology, and climate change top resident priorities

Whitby residents want to see more invested in the waterfront, municipal technology that improve service delivery, and climate change actions that reduce carbon emissions, this year’s Municipal Budget engagement showed.

From May 24 to July 19, the Town engaged a record more than 3,300 people in Phase One of the budget process. New this year, feedback was collected through two unique and interactive online tools:

• Simulate – residents used a new and interactive simulator that showed the financial impacts of their choices in real time as they increased, decreased, or kept funding the same for key municipal service areas. Overall, most participants want to keep funding the same for the Town’s various service areas.
• Prioritize – residents took part in participatory budgeting through a new and interactive tool that invited them to rank/prioritize possible capital projects for inclusion in the budget. Out of seven possible priorities, participants said that they would put $100,000 towards the following in the next Budget:
  • Waterfront Investments
  • Investments in Municipal Technology
  • Climate Change (Zero Carbon) Initiatives

Additional engagement opportunities for residents to have their say on the proposed Budget will be offered later this year. Subscribe at connectwhitby.ca/budget to stay informed. Residents can also learn more about how the budget works and how taxes are calculated in Whitby by visiting connectwhitby.ca/Budget.

Quotes

I’m pleased that over 3,300 people have engaged in the 2025 Budget process so far. It’s very important that our budget priorities are informed by the community, and we will continue to listen and learn this fall as more engagement takes place. I encourage Whitby residents to stay informed at connectwhitby.ca/budget to learn about the new multi-year budget and how it will help the Town implement Whitby’s Community Strategic Plan, and ensure we meet the community needs as Whitby grows.”

-       Elizabeth Roy, Mayor, Town of Whitby

Quick Facts

• Top budget priorities identified by participants in last year’s budget engagement process included continuing the revitalization of the downtowns, creating more green spaces, and enhancing the quality of the Town’s indoor and outdoor facilities.
• More than 3,000 people also shared their feedback to help inform the Vision, Objectives, and Strategic Pillars of Whitby’s Community Strategic Plan, which will also help to inform the Town’s budget investments.
• The Town is expected to receive final approval of the Budget in December 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:

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

Office of the Mayor
Jillian Follert, Public Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 289.387.9101; Email: follertj@whitby.ca