Special Council Meeting - Budget · November 26, 2025 · Item 3.
2026-2027 rates fees and charges be readopted, subject to any amendments in the 2027 budget confirmation year. That in accordance with the General Reserve and Reserve…
Main motion under the agenda item 2026 Draft Budget Update Companion Report (Council Budget Decisions), 2025-500
Carried (13 to 0)
13 in favour, 0 against — unanimous
What was voted on
The motion in its exact words, as recorded in the minutes.
That the 2026-2027 rates fees and charges be readopted, subject to any amendments in the 2027 budget confirmation year. That in accordance with the General Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy, total transfers to and from reserves and reserve funds for 2026 are approved. That the funding of FM Woods Station Upgrade (WT0064) for 2025 and prior approved budgets be adjusted to remove debt financing of $49,207,200 and replace this with funding from the Water Capital reserve fund (152). That Council acknowledges the City’s tax-supported contingency reserve balances continue to be below approved targets, and: That staff continue to be directed to replenish these reserves as a first priority through the allocation of any year-end surpluses in 2025 and future years until such point that they reach a minimum of 75 per cent of target. That Council directs staff to assess whether allocations to rebuild the contingency reserves to their target balances should be included in the next multi-year budget cycle for 2028 to 2031. That Council approves inter-reserve fund borrowing in 2026 to maintain OBC service delivery and that such inter-reserve fund borrowing be approved to maintain balance in the Ontario Building Code Stabilization reserve fund (188), which will see a shortfall as a result of transfers to address the 2025 deficit projection for this service. That Council approves the use of inter-reserve fund borrowing and recognizes some reserve fund balances are below policy targets at times within the capital budget and forecast period based on the 10-year capital budget and forecast included in the 2026 budget update. That Council approves the debt strategy included in the 2026 budget update and acknowledges that the projected debt burden level may impact the City’s future credit rating. That Council approves the application of assessment growth revenue above the amount budgeted to reduce the 2026 tax levy impact, contrary to the prescribed treatment under the Revenue Budgeting Policy. That staff be directed to undertake an operating model analysis for downtown parking as part of the City-Wide Parking Study to identify any required adjustments to revenue, expenditures, and tax support provided for this service as part of the 2027 budget update. That staff be directed to undertake an analysis of the capital and operating budgets for corporate building maintenance to ensure alignment with corporate requirements and identify any adjustments required to be reflected in the 2027 budget update.
Moved by Councillor Hauser, seconded by Councillor Gibson.
How the room voted
In favour (13)
- Allt
- Billings
- Busuttil
- Caron
- Caton
- Chew
- Downer
- Gibson
- Goller
- Guthrie
- Hauser
- Klassen
- Richardson
What council was given
The staff reports and correspondence attached to this item. The summaries are written automatically, so you can tell what a document is without opening a ninety-page PDF.
- 2026 Draft Budget Update Companion Report (Council Budget Decisions) - 2025-500.pdf
A companion report listing 2026 budget decisions that fall to Council rather than the Mayor under strong mayor rules, to be voted on at the special budget meeting on November 26, 2025. Items include re-adopting 2026-2027 fees, reserve transfers, replacing $49,207,200 in planned debt for the FM Woods water station upgrade with water reserve funding, and acknowledging tax-supported contingency reserves remain below target.
A summary is this site’s description of a document, not the City’s. Open the document before relying on one.
What was said
190 words from the meeting recording, transcribed automatically. Times are from the start of the recording.
Read the debate(click to open)
4:35:02So it's kind of a big two slider that comes up here.
4:35:06But it's, yeah, it's all part and parcel
4:35:10of what was made up the budget from staff and such.
4:35:14So it has to, I'm not gonna read all of these,
4:35:17but it's very, yeah, it's just,
4:35:21actually Councillor Houser,
4:35:22would you like to move it?
4:35:24Okay, would someone like to second it?
4:35:26Okay, Councillor Gibson, is there anything further on this?
4:35:30No, oh, sorry, Councillor Gibson, go ahead.
4:35:33Thank you, Mr. Regis.
4:35:34So I don't get locked out here.
4:35:35I do have a couple of thoughts on the budget in general.
4:35:39I generally like to try and summarize a budget
4:35:41in my own thoughts and my own head
4:35:42when I'm having these 30 second conversations with people.
4:35:45Not with that, not with standing.
4:35:49Oh, there's more.
4:35:50Okay, no, no, I'll make a comment at the end then.
4:35:55Sorry, I'll wait.
4:35:58Just don't let me lose that.
4:35:59Okay, no problem.
4:36:00Okay, so I'm gonna call the vote then on this, okay?
4:36:04Is there anyone against these?
4:36:06Okay, that's unanimous as well.
4:36:14Next one is also very administrative in nature.
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The motion, the vote and the debate come from the City of Guelph’s published record, reproduced rather than interpreted. The document summaries above are the exception: those words were written for this site.