Finance and Responsible Governance Committee – Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 4:30pm (or immediately following Executive Committee)

2026 Budget and Business Plan presentation, Q3 Internal Audit status update

Minutes: not yet available

Watch Online:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smRdAQmJ6ug

Agenda:  https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1315835&GUID=E42EA705-106F-455F-B635-72612DA04ADE

City's Legistar: https://barrie.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1315835&GUID=E42EA705-106F-455F-B635-72612DA04ADE&Options=info|&Search=

Meeting Location:  Council Chambers, or electronically

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Harvey (Chair), Nuttall, Thomson, Kungl

🧑‍🏫📑 Presentations

💰⚖️ 2026 Business Plan and Budget

• Presentation:  not yet provided

📝📑 Advisory Committee Reports

🇨🇦🇺🇳 International Relations Commitee

• Report from October 27:  https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14888526&GUID=ADEB95A9-4421-480C-AC8F-04601E19BDDF

📑🗂 Staff Reports

🕵️🧐 2025 Q3 YTD Internal Audit Status Update

• Report: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14888527&GUID=8B14386C-39A7-418C-9F78-17350253374E

• Summaries of the completed internal audit projects "Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Billable Rate Audits" and "Fraud Prevention Month"

• The projects "PCard and Expense Reimbursement", "Vendor Reviews", and "Staff Overtime" are in progress, and "Fraud & Wrongdoing Program Oversight" is ongoing

💰⚖️ 2026 Business Plan and Budget - City Operations and Infrastructure Investment Funding Portions

• Strong Mayor Budget: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14888528&GUID=48A1A1CF-2877-40AF-838F-C07640ADFA96

Operating Budget Approvals

• Approve the 2026 tax-supported base operating budget for City Operations and the Infrastructure Investment Fund, with gross expenditures of $355.6M and a net property tax levy requirement of $214.5M

• Add a Camp Access expense amount and corresponding revenue amount of $35,000 to the Recreation and Culture Program Budget for 2026

City Operations and Infrastructure Investment Funding

• Approve the 2026 budget request for City Operations, with a net tax supported municipal funding requirement of $214.5M - representing a 0% tax rate increase for City operations and a 2% increase associated with Infrastructure Investment Funding   (Read "Why 0% tax increases cost so much", to get a plain-language summary of why continuous 0% tax increases are actually a really bad idea for the City.)

• Approve the New Investment and Service Recommendations presented, with a gross cost of $1.2M and net property tax levy requirement of $73K

• Approve the 2026 Water Rate base operating budget, with net expenditures of $37.4M and water rate revenues of $37.4M, and the 2026 Water Rates as proposed

• Approve teh 2026 Wastewater Rate base operating budget, with net expenditures of $51.3M and wastewater rate revenues of $51.3M, and the proposed 2026 Wastewater Rates

• Approve the 2026 Parking Rate base operating budget, with net expenditures of $2.5M and parking rate revenues of $2.5M, and the proposed 2026 Parking Rates

• Exclude the following estimated expenses from the Business Plan:

  • Amortization expense: $69.5M

  • Post-employment benefit expenses: $1.5M

  • Solid waste landfill closure and post-closure expenses: $200K

Capital Budget Approvals

• Approve the 2026-2030 Capital Budget relating to new capital spending requests of $36.2M, $92.1M, $80.3M, $54.3M and $31.5M (odd that the amounts are given, but not the purpose)

• Any Industrial Development Charge Discounts in 2026 to be funded by any year-end surplus, with any remaining balance funded from the appropriate capital reserve

Bylaw Update and Forecasts Received for Information

• Bylaw 2025-024 to be replaced on May 1, 2026, with a bylaw incorporating the fees and charges presented in the 2026 Business Plan

• Receive the operating forecast information for 2027-2029

Council and Staff Authorization Requests

• Authorize the Executive Management Team (EMT) to add temporary non-complement positions to the end of the budget year, using existing approved funds to deal with any unforeseen circumstances that impact delivery of City Operations

• Authorize the EMT to implement the economic adjustment for the Non-Union Group (NUG) of employees (including full-time, part-time and students), effective January 1, 2026

• Authorize staff to submit applications for grants that would reduce future capital expenditures, fund service enhancements, or enable capital projects to be advanced, and present a report or memo prior to the execution of any agreement associated with the acceptance of any grant

• Authorize the Director of Finance/Treasurer to make the necessary alternations to the transfer to and/or from reserves to reflect changes since the 2026 Business Plan's publication on October 29, 2025

• Authorize the Director of Legislative and Court Services / City Clerk or their designate to prepare all necessary bylaws to implement the recommendations