City of Toronto 2025 Budget process

Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), Chair of the Budget Committee, launched the second annual budget consultations for the City of Toronto’s 2025 Budget in October 2024, inviting residents to participate in a transparent, collaborative and inclusive budget process. 

Under the Province of Ontario’s Bill 3 (“Strong Mayor powers”), the Mayor of Toronto proposes the City’s annual Budget to Toronto City Council for consideration. Toronto City Council then determines the revenue sources including tax levies, rates, user fees and direct taxes. 

The 2025 Budget consultations provided multiple ways for Toronto residents to share their input, including an online survey, in-person and virtual meetings and community-led discussions focused on equity-deserving groups and youth. Below is a summary of the engagement opportunities. 

2025 Budget consultations 

Until Thursday, October 31, 2024, Toronto residents were invited to share their ideas about the City’s 2025 Budget through an online survey and at six virtual and in-person consultations.  

Survey 

Until Thursday, October 31, 2024, Toronto residents could complete an online survey on the City’s Budget webpage. The survey was available in 12 languages: English, French, Chinese-simplified, Chinese-traditional, Farsi, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil and Urdu. 

In-person consultations 

• Saturday, October 19, 2024, at North York Memorial Hall, 5110 Yonge St.  
• Thursday, October 24, 2024, at Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr.  
• Sunday, October 27, 2024, at Rose Avenue Junior Public School, 675 Ontario St.  
• Monday, October 28, 2024, at Etobicoke Olympium, 590 Rathburn Rd.  

Virtual consultations 

• Wednesday, October 23, 2024 
• Wednesday, October 30, 2024 

The City also engaged Albion Neighbourhood Services and Community Coordination Plan, the Toronto Youth Cabinet and the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council to facilitate community-led consultations with Black, Indigenous and equity-deserving communities as well as youth city-wide. The Community Coordination Plan is a partnership model to enhance service coordination and communication among more than 400 community organizations in Toronto. 

The results of the 2025 Budget Consultations will inform decision-making at the City and support discussions with the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to build a strong financial future for Toronto. 

The results will be presented to the Budget Committee when the 2025 Budget launches on Monday, January 13 and will accompany the Budget Committee’s recommendations to the Mayor to help inform her proposed budget. 

The budget process will follow standard procedures, including a presentation by the City Manager and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to launch the staff-prepared budget, as well as service area and select agency presentations and public presentations to hear additional feedback from Toronto residents. 

As required by provincial legislation, the Mayor will propose her budget for City Council’s consideration by Saturday, February 1. City Council will then consider the Mayor’s budget, alongside other budget-related items within its authority, at a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 11. 

The 2025 Budget key dates 

• October 1 to 31, 2024 – 2025 Budget Consultations 
• Tuesday, December 10, 2024 – Interim rate report to Executive Committee (Solid Waste Management Services, Toronto Parking Authority and Toronto Water) 
• Tuesday, December 17 to Thursday, December 19, 2024 – Interim rate report to City Council 
• Monday, January 13 – 2025 Budget launch 
• Wednesday, January 15 to Friday, January 17 – Budget Committee review 
• Wednesday, January 15 and Thursday, January 23 – Telephone town halls 
• Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22 – Budget Committee public presentations 
• Friday, January 24 – Budget Committee wrap-up 
• By Saturday, February 1 – Release of the Mayor’s proposed 2025 Budget 
• Tuesday, February 11 – City Council (Special) 

Public engagement 

Once the Budget launches on Monday, January 13, Toronto residents will have additional opportunities to engage in the process online and in person by joining a telephone town hall with Mayor Chow and Councillor Carroll, writing to members of the Budget Committee and Members of Council, attending a local Councillor’s Budget town hall and speaking to members of the Budget Committee. 

Telephone town halls 

• Wednesday, January 15, 7 to 8:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, January 23, 7 to 8:30 p.m. 

Toronto residents can call the toll-free number 1-833-490-0778 during the scheduled times to participate. 

The Budget Committee will hear from speakers on Tuesday, January 21, and Wednesday, January 22, in person and via video conference. All sessions will be accessible by video conference. The meetings will take place at the following locations and times: 

• Tuesday, January 21 
  • Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St. W.), 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. onwards. 
  • Scarborough Civic Centre (150 Borough Dr.), 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. onwards. 
• Wednesday, January 22 
  • Etobicoke Civic Centre, Council Chamber (399 The West Mall), 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. onwards. 
  • North York Civic Centre (5100 Yonge St.), 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. onwards. 

Speakers must register by emailing buc@toronto.ca or calling 416-392-4666 with their preferred day and timeslot before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, January 20. Each individual may make only one presentation. Registered speakers will receive instructions on how to present at the Committee meeting. The meeting will be broadcast live on the Toronto City Council YouTube channel. 

Written feedback can be submitted via email at buc@toronto.ca, by fax at 416-392-2980, or by mail to 100 Queen St. W., Toronto City Hall, 10th Floor, West Tower, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2 Attention: Budget Committee. 

Feedback can also be sent directly to Members of Council. Contact information is available through 311 and on the City’s Members of Council webpage. 

Special Powers and Duties of the Mayor 

Regulations prescribe the process for the City’s annual budget: 

• The Mayor has the duty to propose an annual budget to City Council no later than Saturday, February 1.  
• City Council has 30 days to amend the proposed budget after the Mayor presents it or may choose to shorten this period (for 2025, City Council adopted a meeting calendar with a Special City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 11 to consider the proposed budget, which shortened this period). If City Council does not amend the proposed budget within this time, the Mayor’s proposed budget is deemed adopted. 
• The Mayor may veto City Council amendments up to 10 days after the period for City Council to pass amendments ends (the shorter of the 30 days or the shorter time adopted by City Council), or the Mayor may choose to shorten this period. If the Mayor does not exercise her veto, the amended budget is deemed adopted. 
• City Council may override the Mayor’s veto with a two-third vote up to 15 days after the period for the Mayor to veto an amendment (the shorter of the ten days or the shorter time adopted by the Mayor), in which case the amended budget is deemed adopted. This period may also be shortened by City Council. 
• If City Council does not exercise an override of the Mayor’s veto, the proposed budget is deemed adopted. 

More information is available on the City’s 2025 Budget webpage.