Special Council Meeting - Budget

That Council amend Guelph’s 2026 budget update by increasing the 2026 operating budget by $74,570 for the half year cost of the addition of a Data Architect position to be annualized in 2027, funded by the property tax levy. Voting

That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the bi-centennial funding by $47,000 funded through the property tax levy. Voting

That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $500,000, funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $500,000 in each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting

That Council amend the 2026 budget update by increasing the operating budget for Mayor and Council training funds by $20,000 , funded by the property tax levy. Councillor Allt called a Point of Privilege noting that they did not intend to offend with their comments. Mayor Guthrie noted that Councillor's should not interrupt each other or the Chair during discussion and asked for discussion to continue. Voting

That Council amend the 2026 budget update by increasing the operating budget for Mayor and Council training funds by $20,000, funded by the property tax levy. Voting

That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by $650,000 to restore funding for snow removal services for on-street bike lanes funded by the property tax levy. Voting

That design and community engagement works, as previously approved, for PK0198 Sloan Hill Park continue as led by Parks staff. That Council respectfully requests that the Mayor considers increasing the 2027 operating budget by $815,000 for capital financing transfers to the growth reserve funded by the tax levy through the 2027 budget update and advancing capital project PK0198 Beaumont Park from 2028 to 2027 in the amount of $815,000 (including rubber surfacing), with operating impacts of $14,700 moving from 2029 to 2028 funded by the tax levy. Voting

That staff are directed to allocate any unspent portion of the $103,000 in bicentennial funding approved for 2025 to the Tax Operating Contingency reserve (180) through the year-end operating budget monitoring report recommendations, to be available for bicentennial activities in 2026 or 2027. That Council respectfully requests that the Mayor considers increasing the 2027 operating budget by $303,000 for Guelph’s bi-centennial, funded by the property tax levy, through the 2027 budget update. That Council respectfully requests that the Mayor decreases the tax levy in 2028 by $500,000. Voting

That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by reducing the hospital levy by half, to $375,000. That staff be directed to update the 2027 operating forecast to remove the reversal of the hospital levy in 2027. Voting

3. That Council respectfully requests that the Mayor decreases the hospital levy in 2028 by $375,000. Voting

That Council amends Guelph’s 2026 operating budget by removing Budget Request 001574 - Community Energy CBA totalling $75,000, reducing the property tax levy. Voting

That Council amends the 2026 capital budget by deferring PO0056 – Downtown & Non-standard New/Replacement Tree Planting costs of $158,000 to the 2027 capital forecast and deferring the 2027 operating impact of $600 to 2028. This motion was

That Council amend Guelph’s 2026 operating budget by implementing the Route 98 expansion effective November 1, 2026, with an impact of $642,235 and that the 2027 operating forecast be updated to include $1,385,813 for the annualized impact, funded by the property tax levy. Voting

That the Council of the City of Guelph now hold a meeting that is closed to the public, pursuant to the Municipal Act, to consider: Daytime Drop-in Space - 2026 Budget Implications Section 239(2)(k) of the Municipal Act, regarding a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations

That City Council amend Guelph’s 2026 budget update by increasing the 2026 operating budget by $850,000 for the provision of daytime space, funded by the property tax levy, focusing on the weighted criteria included in the request for proposal. That City Council respectfully request the County of Wellington contribute 10% of the costs of daytime space provision as a share of the discretionary service. Voting

That Guelph City Council expresses continued urgency and concerns that municipalities across Ontario are negatively impacted by provincial legislative changes resulting in further downloading and underfunding that is not revenue neutral and places a disproportionate burden on property taxes and property taxpayers to fund services such as, but not limited to, court administration, social services, mental health and addictions, and deeply affordable social housing, costing Ontario’s municipalities nearly $4 billion per year, and urgently requests that the province reassume full financial responsibility for such services, as well as acknowledge and provide municipal taxpayer relief on any future policy or legislative changes. That a copy of this motion be sent to Premier Doug Ford; Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack; Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy; Minister of Children, Communities and Social Services Michael Parsa, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Todd McCarthy; Attorney General Doug Downey; Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Vijay Thanigasalam; Member of Provincial Parliament Mike Schreiner; Leader of the Opposition Marit Styles; Leader of the Third Party John Fraser; the Association of Municipalities of Ontario; and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Voting

That the budget impacts per Ontario Regulation 284-09 and budget – Public Sector Accounting Standards reconciliation for the 2026 budget be approved. Voting

That the following resolution be reconsidered: That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $500,000, funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $500,000 in each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting

That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $350,000 , funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $350,000 i n each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting

That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $250,000, funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $250,000 in each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting

That the 30-day budget amendment period prescribed in Ontario Regulation 530/22 Section 7 (3) be shortened and the final day for amendments be November 26th, 2025. Voting

That the meeting be adjourned (2:10 p.m.).

1. That Council amend Guelph’s 2026 budget update by increasing the 2026 operating budget by $74,570 for the half year cost of the addition of a Data Architect position to be annualized in 2027, funded by the property tax levy. Voting in Favour: (3): Councillor Allt, Councillor Caron, and Councillor Caton Voting Against: (10): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the bi- centennial funding by $47,000 funded through the property tax levy. Special Council – Budget Meeting Minutes: November 26, 2025 - 2 Voting in Favour: (13): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $500,000, funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $500,000 in each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting in Favour: (8): Councillor Allt, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Downer, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, and Councillor Klassen Voting Against: (5): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Billings, Councillor Chew, Councillor Gibson, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amend the 2026 budget update by increasing the operating budget for Mayor and Council training funds by $20,000, funded by the property tax levy. Councillor Allt called a Point of Privilege noting that they did not intend to offend with their comments. Special Council – Budget Meeting Minutes: November 26, 2025 - 3 Mayor Guthrie noted that Councillor's should not interrupt each other or the Chair during discussion and asked for discussion to continue. Voting in Favour: (7): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Downer, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, and Councillor Klassen Voting Against: (6): Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, Councillor Gibson, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amend the 2026 budget update by increasing the operating budget for Mayor and Council training funds by $20,000, funded by the property tax levy. Voting in Favour: (6): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Caron, Councillor Downer, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, and Councillor Klassen Voting Against: (7): Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Gibson, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by $650,000 to restore funding for snow removal services for on-street bike lanes funded by the property tax levy. Voting in Favour: (6): Councillor Allt, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Downer, Councillor Goller, and Councillor Klassen Voting Against: (7): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, Councillor Gibson, Councillor K. Hauser, and Councillor Richardson

1. That staff are directed to allocate any unspent portion of the $103,000 in bicentennial funding approved for 2025 to the Tax Operating Contingency reserve (180) through the year-end operating budget monitoring report recommendations, to be available for bicentennial activities in 2026 or 2027. 2. That Council respectfully requests that the Mayor considers increasing the 2027 operating budget by $303,000 for Guelph’s bi-centennial, funded by the property tax levy, through the 2027 budget update. 3. That Council respectfully requests that the Mayor decreases the tax levy in 2028 by $500,000. Voting in Favour: (13): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by reducing the hospital levy by half, to $375,000. 2. That staff be directed to update the 2027 operating forecast to remove the reversal of the hospital levy in 2027. Voting in Favour: (13): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson

3. That Council respectfully requests that the Mayor decreases the hospital levy in 2028 by $375,000. Voting in Favour: (9): Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, and Councillor Klassen Voting Against: (4): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amend Guelph’s 2026 operating budget by implementing the Route 98 expansion effective November 1, 2026, with an impact of $642,235 and that the 2027 operating forecast be updated to include $1,385,813 for the annualized impact, funded by the property tax levy. Voting in Favour: (7): Councillor Allt, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Downer, Councillor Goller, and Councillor Klassen Voting Against: (6): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Billings, Councillor Chew, Councillor Gibson, Councillor K. Hauser, and Councillor Richardson

1. That City Council amend Guelph’s 2026 budget update by increasing the 2026 operating budget by $850,000 for the provision of daytime space, funded by the property tax levy, focusing on the weighted criteria included in the request for proposal. 2. That City Council respectfully request the County of Wellington contribute 10% of the costs of daytime space provision as a share of the discretionary service. Voting in Favour: (12): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson Voting Against: (1): Councillor Allt

1. That the 2026-2027 rates fees and charges be readopted, subject to any amendments in the 2027 budget confirmation year. 2. That in accordance with the General Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy, total transfers to and from reserves and reserve funds for 2026 are approved. Special Council – Budget Meeting Minutes: November 26, 2025 - 9 3. 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). 4. That Council acknowledges the City’s tax-supported contingency reserve balances continue to be below approved targets, and: a. 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. b. 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. 5. 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. 6. That Council approves the use of inter-reserve fun

1. That the budget impacts per Ontario Regulation 284-09 and budget – Public Sector Accounting Standards reconciliation for the 2026 budget be approved. Voting in Favour: (13): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson

1. That the following resolution be reconsidered: That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $500,000, funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $500,000 in each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting in Favour: (12): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson Voting Against: (1): Councillor Caron Special Council – Budget Meeting Minutes: November 26, 2025 - 11

1. That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $350,000, funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $350,000 in each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting in Favour: (3): Councillor Allt, Councillor Caron, and Councillor Caton Voting Against: (10): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson

1. That Council amends the 2026 operating budget by increasing the transfer to the 100RE reserve fund by $250,000, funded through the property tax levy and increase the 2026 to 2035 capital budget by $250,000 in each year for capital project GG0261 100RE Initiatives funded by the 100RE Reserve Fund. Voting in Favour: (7): Councillor Allt, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caton, Councillor Downer, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, and Councillor Klassen Voting Against: (6): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Chew, Councillor Gibson, and Councillor Richardson Special Council – Budget Meeting Minutes: November 26, 2025 - 12

1. That the 30-day budget amendment period prescribed in Ontario Regulation 530/22 Section 7 (3) be shortened and the final day for amendments be November 26th, 2025. Voting in Favour: (13): Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Allt, Councillor Billings, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Chew, Councillor Downer, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor K. Hauser, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Richardson