City officials are expressing thanks to participants in Barrie’s annual budget survey, which will be used to inform civic spending priorities in 2025.
This year, Barrie residents were asked to complete the short survey online between October 7 and October 21. According to Mayor Alex Nuttall, it is a vital tool for gauging public opinion on the existing services provided by the city.
“[The annual budget survey] is really important because it lets us know where the people of Barrie are at in terms of the services available — whether it’s the police, library or other concerns they have about different things happening in the community,” says Mayor Alex Nuttall.
The large majority of Barrie’s $392 million budget is collected through property taxes, though it also maintains several other sources of revenue — including grants and subsidies from the federal and provincial government as well as development charges levied for particular projects.
This year’s survey solicited opinions on various areas of expenditure — including emergency services, public transit and waste management programs. For each area, the survey provided a rough calculation of what a typical household — one where the property has been assessed as worth $368,000 — currently pays through taxes. Respondents were asked to choose between keeping the budget flat, increasing it by five per cent or decreasing it by the same amount. The city also provided a brief outline of how services could be improved by increased spending or stripped down by a cut.
According to Nuttall, he has been consistently surprised by the outcome of the annual budget surveys. “Sometimes, you get feedback on the issues where you think you know what the community wants — but [what the community wants] is actually in a different direction,” he says.
“Getting this information is good because it feeds into the decision-making process and ensures we’re moving forward on behalf of the people of Barrie — walking with them and not leaving them behind.”
The Barrie Fire and Emergency Service cost the average Barrie home owner $424 in 2024. According to the survey, a five per cent budgetary increase would provide for 75 per cent of the construction and staffing costs of operating a sixth fire station in southeast Barrie. The survey noted a budget cut would lead to reduced response times and, potentially, higher home insurance premiums.
Public transit cost about $233 per head in 2024. According to the survey, by increasing expenditure, the system could halve the amount of time between trips on its bus routes, from every half-hour to every 15 minutes. Alternatively, a five per cent budget reduction would lead to the closure of existing routes in low demand.
In 2024, the average household paid about $160 for the city’s waste management services. An increase to the department’s budget would, among other things, allow it to extend the opening hours of its household waste and recycling depots. Alternatively, a cut would lead to increased disposal fees and decreased opening hours for the depots.
This year’s survey will be used in the development of Barrie’s budget for 2025. Its results, as well as those of a similar phone survey conducted during the same period, will be made available to the public next month, following a meeting of the finance and responsible governance committee on Nov. 20.
