Burlington mayor Marianne Meed Ward sat down with Annette Hamm to discuss two important topics in the city.

First off, the City of Burlington asked for feedback on using drones and fireworks at their Canada Day event and residents were not shy to share their opinion.

Most concerns centered around the negative environmental impact that fireworks have, as well as the distress they can cause to pets and small children. When asked how she felt about the alternative drone show the mayor said, “I think people are intrigued by the drone show…it’s very expensive, and a little less spectacular, I would say, than the fireworks and the light show, but it’s something for us to continue to explore”. One of the biggest concerns she cited was the cost of the technology, but she concluded saying that the combination show was “neat”, and the feedback from residents will help direct where the city invests its time and funds.

The next topic the mayor tackled was the budget. Under the new provincial legislation mayors are required to present a budget, by issuing direction to staff. Key areas of focus she named were affordability, livability, sustainability, and transparency. The budget will be formally present by the mayor on November 4th, ahead of a month-long review period. But well before that, Mayor Meed Ward said she will be taking a “mini-draft budget” on a “budget roadshow…taking the budget to every part of the city and every ward with the participation of the ward councillors”, in order to get feedback from the public. A common complaint is higher taxes, and she cited inflation as a reason for municipal budgets continuing to rise, due to the increased cost of delivering community services and city wages.