Burlington council approved its 2024 budget last week. City gross expenditures rose to a record high of $345,500,000 from last year’s $313,868,977, a 10.08 per cent increase! The carefully worded PR release says “The City’s portion of the overall tax increase is 4.99 per cent.” The total increase on the tax bill (including region and education) is 6.68 per cent.

Unlike previous years, many citizens wrote or appeared at committees and council. Usually there’s little interest in budgets, but in this year’s high inflation economy they were pleading for a lower hike. Three were exceptionally knowledgeable about financial statements.