About Marianne Meed Ward

http://ward2news.ca

Councillor Marianne Meed Ward Please check out the articles covering issues that you've told me matter to you. I value your feedback on them because it informs the decisions I make. If you want to let me or others know about concerns or events in your neighbourhood, please get in touch. My email is

Posts by Marianne Meed Ward:

Downtown & Waterfront, Economic Development, Taxes & spending BEDC, buildout, burlington, development, intensification, jobs, taxes

Without jobs, Burlington’s taxes increase

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Without an aggressive strategy of job creation, Burlington residents will see their property taxes spike, services cut or development expand into rural areas.

Here’s why: Providing all of the services required for residents – community services and infrastructure for example – far exceeds the tax revenues collected. By contrast, the “industrial, commercial, institutional” tax class – or “ICI” -pays more than double the residential property tax rate, but only costs a fraction of that to service. There can be as much as an 80% profit on industrial taxes, versus a 40% loss on residential taxes.

A balance between residential and ICI tax revenue is critical to municipal health, yet currently, residential taxes account for 82% of Burlington’s tax revenue, versus 18% from the commercial/industrial sector.
Non residential growth has essentially flatlined in Burlington over the past 15 years, while residential growth has almost tripled. Burlington used to see double digit employment growth; now, 2% annual growth is “optimistic.” When residential growth outpaces economic growth, the city is left with three unpalatable choices: cut services, dramatically increase property taxes, or expand development into the rural area.

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Burlington City : Ward 2 News Burlington | Marianne Meed Ward: [...] focus on expanding our Industrial-Commercial-Institutional tax base (as I wrote about recently here. Burlington’s growth has come primarily from…
Priorities in 2013 - Ward 2 News Burlington | Marianne Meed Ward : Ward 2 News Burlington | Marianne Meed Ward: [...] taxpayers, residential tax rates will continue to increase. As I wrote about last month (here), the Burlington Economic Development Corporation…

Budget, Taxes & spending

Budget 2013: Spending increases by $9.2m, city tax by 4.5%, $2m in “nice-to-haves”

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Though the budget includes several need-to-have items – our contribution to the hospital redevelopment, money for infrastructure, the new Alton community centre and library, and enhanced transit service – it also includes almost $2 million in “nice-to-haves”.

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Dave Daniels: $ 488,000.00 FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS . SHAME, SHAME. WHEN WILL THIS BECOME REVENUE NEUTRAL ?

Downtown & Waterfront, Infrastructure

Hydro burial, upgrades & cost-sharing proposed for downtown

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Recent downtown developments have revealed the need for upgrades to hydro service in the downtown

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Penny Hersh: I support hydro burial downtown. However, I do not think that it should fall to the taxpayer to pay for…

Budget

Budget 2013: Aiming for increase near 3%

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Given the economic climate and the potential increase for necessary items, our budget must reflect priorities and need to haves.

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5 comments

Dave Daniels: I would like to see an increase no more than the rate of inflation. The amount to the Hospital is…
Bruce Bond: Taxes: Why do we always start with a high percentage and then when it is settled at half the price…
Gary Scobie: I support a 3.5% increase as the maximum, to be directed to the need-to-haves only.
IamRickB: I would like to see an increase no more than the rate of inflation...if you have to cut services- so…
Dave Trueman: I support the 3.5% budget increase and infrastructure (roads, sewers, etc.) maintenance Dave Trueman

Community engagement, Tourism and events BEDC, burlington, Burlington Economic Development, city council, councillors, fundraising, Inspire Burlington, mayor

Clarity needed on Fundraising by Burlington’s City Council

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

We need a made-in-Burlington policy to provide clarity around fundraising and events sponsored by members of council.

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Development

Staff recommend Northhaven Development on Ghent

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

City staff are recommending approval of the rezoning of 2071 Ghent Avenue to permit a four-storey, six unit townhouse building, with two parking spaces each, and three spaces for visitor parking.

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Downtown & Waterfront, Heritage

Business sought for beach pumphouse

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Thanks to the members of the Burlington Waterfront Committee (formerly the Waterfront Access & Protection Advisory Committee) for spearheading this initiative

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Downtown & Waterfront, Parks, Recent

Renaming proposed for Spencer Smith promenade

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

The Burl-Oak Naval Veterans have requested that the promenade in Spencer Smith Park be renamed the Naval Veterans Walkway

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Thomas C. Riddell: why not

Bylaw enforcement & policing, Recent, Transit & Roads

Skateboarding on streets to be reviewed

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

As the city tries to encourage more active transportation, we are reviewing rules around using Burlington’s streets for wheeled transportation including skateboarding, roller blades, electric scooters and other “emerging vehicles.” Currently all of these are prohibited on city streets.

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Heritage, Recent

Burlington’s Freeman Station to be Moved this Spring

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

The Friends of Freeman Station are hoping to move the historic train station to a new home in April, on land provided by Ashland-Hercules on Fairview Street, just east of the fire station.

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Community engagement, Downtown & Waterfront, Recent, Transit & Roads

On Burlington’s proposal for bike lanes on Lakeshore Road – You did it!

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Your valuable insights, lived experience, and reasonable alternatives to on-road bike lanes helped sway the vote to keep the road as is.

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2 comments

flupster: Great work, Marianne! Despite my general antipathy to cycling road warriors, I'm pleased that this decision was a balanced one.…
Dave Haynes - 16:9: Thanks for your reasoned arguments on this. The proposal made little sense. At the council mtg (I was there), I…

Budget, Taxes & spending

City of Burlington Budget 2013: Tax increase proposed for 2.3-6.5%

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

We must do better than a 6.5% increase, and that will require some tough choices.

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Burlington City : Ward 2 News Burlington | Marianne Meed Ward: [...] For a line by line discussion of proposed items in the budget, please see my earlier article on the…

Budget, Community engagement, Downtown & Waterfront, Economic Development, Parking, Recent

My priorities for Ward 2 and Burlington in 2013

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

There are steps we can take, both large and small, short term and long term, that will preserve what we love about the community, and make changes that will make our city even better

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Transit & Roads

Centre turn lane on Lakeshore Road reduced for on-road bike lanes

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Residents concerns were set aside.

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5 comments

Danielletodd: As a casual bike rider, I find the bike path that runs from one side of the city, to the…
- Chris Ariens: To be fair, the turning lane is not going to go away. It will however be narrowed. A motorist wishing…
  - Danielletodd: The path of which I speak is just south of new street. It starts downtown and goes all the way…
Marilyn Barnicke Belleghem: The left hand turn lane is vital to the safe use of Lakeshore Road by local residents (I am one…
Chris Ariens: Sounds a little Rob Ford-esque to me. Points 1,3,4 are arguable - albeit we have no data to advise us…

Bylaw enforcement & policing, Parks

Burlington’s Central Park not suited for leash free activities

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

There are two other parks in Ward 2 where there is potential for leash free activity and I will work with those residents should they be interested in proceeding with a leash free area.

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Bylaw enforcement & policing, Downtown & Waterfront burlington, downtown, night clubs, noise, restaurants

Restrictions approved for night clubs, restaurants with dance floors in mixed use buildings

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

The complaints I get from Burlington residents about noise are mostly for restaurants with dance floors, not night clubs.

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Development, Recent

Variances approved for Bridgewater development at Riviera waterfront site

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Bridgewater expect to file a site plan application shortly. Construction is expected to start late in 2013 or early 2014.

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Transit & Roads

Proposal to remove Lakeshore Rd turnlane for bike lanes

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

Though I recognize this is proposed as a pilot, which I normally support, the impact on vehicular safety and flow would be too great.

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8 comments

Kenneth Fox: This would be a terrible idea... as a person who uses lakeshore rd everyday, I know the necessity of the…
disqus_W73AOw6lnM: Agree removing the turn lanes on Lakeshore is a bad idea. A Pilot was done on narrowing Lakeshore by Spenser…
Susan72: Yes, eliminating the center left turn lane in favor of a bike lane would impede the traffic on Lakeshore Road,…
- MNBennett: I believe everyone that comments here against the report recommendation should at least declare the last time they actually rode…
WarningU2: Big mistake to remove lane. It will make it hazardous to.bikes and cars . Why not use existing south side…
WarningU2: I think it would be a terrible idea to remove the center turning lane. Isn't there already a bike path…

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Community engagement, Development

How your input shaped the Fairview GO lands project

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

This is the first time that residents have been consulted on a site plan before it was filed

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Development, Recent

Public meeting on Branthaven townhouse project on Ghent

Marianne Meed Ward ⋅

As I have learned more about this project, and the intent of the zoning, I have growing concerns about the scale and density of the project, and its compatibility with the character of the neighbourhood.

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