Let your 2021 Oshawa Budget priorities be known!
Complete the Feedback Form prior to the virtual Town Hall budget meetings for each Ward
https://connectoshawa.ca/budget2021?tool=survey_tool#tool_tab
The first section of the Feedback Form asks what are your budget priorities for 2021 and there is an area to insert your comment.
It is where there may be input similar to what residents in Ward 1 have spoken to me about:
• lowering taxes
• installing more radar message boards & temporary speed bumps for road safety
• installing basketball courts in the parks
• completing connective trails to the Del Park Homes Centre
• adding a fenced-in leash free dog park
• installing splash pads in the parks
• completing sidewalks on Ritson Rd. N.
• weekly garbage pick-up
• installing a pickleball court, an Amphitheatre for outdoor plays and events, and cricket field
• adding shade structures to parks
•upgrade audio visual for all public meetings
Following the first section that asks what are your priorities, there are 4 multiple choice questions, as copied below:
2. Please rate your overall level of satisfaction with the quality of services provided by the City of Oshawa: Excellent; Good; Fair: Poor: Unsure/Don't Know
3. Do you feel that you understand how your tax dollars are used within the City budget? Yes or No
(Question 4 is a tricky one to answer because there is no choice to lower taxes and maintain services or maintain taxes and maintain services, as if neither of those goals are possible)
4. What option do you prefer the most to balance the budget?
1. Increase to property taxes to increase services
2. Increase to property taxes to maintain services
3. Increase user fees to maintain services
4. Combo of increase in property taxes and user fees to maintain services
5. Combo of a small increase in taxes+user fees and decrease services
6. Maintain current taxes and decrease services
For the last question 5 here's a freebie for you:
5. What is the portion of your total tax bill that the City has control over? The correct answer is 41% (not the other choices 100% or 61%) as the balance is under the control of the Region of Durham, also 41%, for its broader services (police, EMS, Durham Transit, Water & Sewer, Regional Roads); and the Ontario Ministry of Education and the School Boards makes up 18% of the total tax bill.