Oshawa hosting Telephone Open House on 2023 budget tonight

Oshawa taxpayers with questions about the upcoming budget can get answers at a Telephone Open House tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Those who pre-registered (registration is now closed) will receive phone calls from Mayor Dan Carter and senior City staff, with calls placed to landlines and mobile numbers provided beginning at 6:30.

Residents can still participate in the open house by dialing 1-800-236-8902 while the event is live.

Carter and his staff will be online answering questions related to the operating and capital budgets, the budget process and the cost of City services and programs, such as garbage, green bin and yard waste collection; road maintenance and snow clearing; sidewalk maintenance and other work performed by Oshawa personnel.

You can also learn about programs not covered in the City budget, from Regional services like blue box, social housing, transit and police and ambulance, to federal and provincial programs.

Oshawa will host a special council meeting Friday to review the 2023 budget as it currently stands, with a second meeting scheduled for January 19.

Initial budget calculations pointed to a 6.24 per cent increase to the budget levy though staff have been able to reduce the increase to the tax levy to $4.09 million, which represents a 2.62 per cent increase. That’s $53.41 (for the City’s portion) extra on a home assessed at $356,ooo.

The budget will be approved January 20, with a final meeting set for January 27 if necessary.

Budget Meeting | Review, 9:30 a.m. (January 13)

Budget Meeting | Review, 9:30 a.m. (January 19)

Budget Meeting | Review & Approval, 9:30 a.m. (January 20)

Budget Meeting | Review & Approval, 9:30 a.m. (if necessary) (January 27)