Londoners looking to take part in a public participation meeting on the 2021 budget update will have another way to take part this year: the telephone.
Councillors Josh Morgan and Mo Salih requested that city staff come up with another option for participation ahead of Monday’s public participation meeting at the strategic priorities and policy committee meeting.
Residents who want to participate without attending in person can now call 519-930-3502.
The meeting falls on the same day the region moves into the orange-restrict level of the province’s COVID-19 response framework.
“It’s really important for us on things like the budget to be able to encourage people to give feedback and it’s a very awkward situation when the only option you have is to show up in person and sit in a committee room with others and speak into a microphone,” Morgan explained.
“And so we need to look at other options and other ways that people can comfortably and safely participate and this phone option is one that our staff come up with over the weekend at the request of Coun. Salih and myself.”
The meeting starts at 4 p.m. Monday and members of the public looking to participate via phone can call 519-930-3502. If you were to call in, Morgan says you’d be placed in a queue and then when it got to your turn you’d hear him on the other end, since he’s chairing the meeting, and then you’d be able to speak for five minutes.
“That’s how long you have to participate in the budget process and that your voice will be piped right into council chambers for council to hear and right into the Zoom meeting for any councillors participating remotely to hear,” Morgan said.
“So it’s just like being there, just without seeing you visually. But everything else will be exactly the same.”
If members of the public are looking to provide budget feedback outside of the meeting, they can head to the city’s Get Involved London portal to find information about the budget itself as well as ways to provide feedback and key dates in the budget process.
The 2021 budget, the second year in the 2020-23 multi-year budget, is expected to require more updates and changes than usual due to the impact of the pandemic.
“I think you’re going to see a number of colleagues like myself look to try to bring the budget down to provide some relief,” Morgan said.
“And I will say that the multi-year budget is flexible enough that it allows us to do this. It allows us to dig into each and every operational line if we need to but when we don’t, it allows us to take, you know, kind of an easier path and stick to that four-year budget plan.”
Initially, the 2021 budget projected the property tax increase at 4.4 per cent but amendments and options put forward by staff could see it drop to a 3.5 per cent increase.
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