Royal Botannical Gardens funding

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The Royal Botanical Gardens has asked the City of Hamilton for an almost 23% budget boost this year.

This comes as the city tries to reel in costs by sticking to minimal increases.

But The RBG won’t get an immediate 23% bump

That would split the financial load 50/50 between Burlington and Hamilton.

It’s requested an extra $137-thousand increase this year, an amount designed to bring Hamilton in line with the region of Halton’s $736-thousand contribution last year.

The RBG says it’s had 5 years of zero-budget increases from the city, while the Halton’s contribution has risen by 6%.

The agency was invited to talk to staff about possible alternative funding options in advance of the 2017 budget.

The current RBG funding model is based on assessment growth and housing starts in Hamilton and Halton.

While the City of Hamilton contributes funding to the RBG, it’s not the City of Burlington that supports the RBG but the Halton Region.