Police, county and library present budget requests to council tonight

Barrie’s 2025 budget process, which sets property taxes and service levels, gets back on the rails tonight.

The city’s service partners — police, County of Simcoe and library — will present their spending requests to city council on Wednesday.

These presentations are the last items on the evening’s agenda, however.

Before that happens, the finance and responsible governance committee is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 

First is a presentation by Dr. Zachary Spicer, public affairs consultant and municipal electoral systems expert regarding Barrie’s ward boundary review. It’s an introductory workshop for councillors, to prepare them to consider and discuss whether to maintain the existing ward boundaries or redraw them.

The next city election is in the fall of 2026.

Committee will next consider an interim agreement with the Sea Cadets for the use of office space at the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre, at no charge, with the agreement to also include provisions for rental rates and parking for the use of Southshore Centre consistent with other user groups such as the Barrie Rotary Club.

An addition to Southshore Centre is to eventually be the new home of the Sea Cadets/Navy League. 

Councillors will also consider changing the city’s procedural bylaw, to add a provision that consultants, developers, etc., must provide any council and committee presentations in person, unless authorized by the city clerk in consultation with the mayor and/or chair of the committee.

City council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m., also in the Council Chambers.

It will consider final approval to rezone portions of 124, 180 and 228 McKay Rd. from agriculture general, environmental protection (EP) and neighbourhood residential to neighbourhood residential, neighbourhood residential multiple and EP.

A concurrent draft plan of subdivision application proposes to incorporate additional land to the north for stormwater management areas and nine additional single-detached residences, for a total of 366 residential dwellings. Refinements to existing, previously approved zoning is requested to accommodate 37 back-to-back townhouses. 

The total development consists of 746 residential building lots, a block for a school, open space park areas and associated stormwater management and environmental protection areas. A total of 380 lots in the subdivision have already been registered and are being constructed.

Also up for final council approval is the rezoning application for 12 Ottaway Ave., needed to develop two single-detached residences with attached garages on vacant land of 0.21 acres. This rezoning would be from residential single-detached dwelling second density to residential single-detached dwelling fourth density.

Council will consider a direct motion that $225,000 be provided to the Business Improvement Area (BIA) for a summer concert series to be funded from the MAT reserve, with the BIA to repay all funds raised in support of this initiative to the city by Dec. 31, 2025. In addition to the fundraising to be undertaken, the BIA would explore other opportunities such as sponsorship to further reduce the city’s contribution to this event.

The municipal accommodation tax (MAT) is a levy on room rates at Barrie hotels, motels and AirBnBs.

And last but not least, council will hear 2025 budget presentations from its service partners — Barrie Police Service, Barrie Public Library and the County of Simcoe.

There will also be a presentation on the potential for a library branch in Barrie’s northwest corner.

These committee and council meetings can be attended by the public at Barrie City Hall, and are also available online.