City budget: Don’t expect fights for more cash from London Transit, library

Article content

The 2025 city budget update process is now underway. After the tense four-year (2024-27) budget discussions last winter where only London police walked away with everything they wanted – how are London’s other biggest agencies faring with what they got? Reporter Jack Moulton takes a look.

LONDON PUBLIC LIBRARY

During last winter’s multi-year budget talks, the library had among the steepest asks of the different city-funded agencies, looking for a 19.9 per cent budget increase for 2024.

Article content

The mayor’s budget whittled that increase down to 5.5 per cent with extra money for emergency fixes, but budget talks brought it up to seven per cent. Initial fears of cuts to service and branch closures were set aside.

In a statement to The London Free Press, library chief executive Michael Ciccone said that the budget increases for 2024 and 2025 left the library on shaky ground, but they are aiming to maintain service levels.

“By drawing down from our stabilization reserve, managing staff vacancies, and continuing to seek cost savings opportunities when possible, we feel the library will be able to maintain current service levels through this budget cycle,” he said.

During his 2025 budget update presentation, Mayor Josh Morgan said the library deferred some of its capital projects – saving the city $3.2 million.

LONDON TRANSIT COMMISSION

The funding allocated to London’s transit agency was a mixed bag. While Morgan granted it all of its requested increases in order to maintain service, the budget initially excluded money for expanding conventional transit service, only paratransit service.

Article content

Article content

In a narrow vote during budget deliberations, new conventional service hours were added, short of what the agency requested. The decision came amid an advertising campaign on buses, putting pressure on city council to boost funding.

Kelly Paleczny, London Transit’s general manager, said they have no intention of digging up old fights.

“Essentially, we’ve treated that as a done deal,” she said, explaining that the new service hours this year went both into weekend and weekday improvements.

The transit commission similarly gave the city tax hike relief, returning $1.5 million following an internal review. Paleczny said the commission was counting on student enrolment at Western University and Fanshawe College to decline next year due to the caps on international students, which she said was confirmed not to be the case.

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON?

Ciccone said that assuming the scheduled budget increases set for 2026 and 2027 remain, the library “should be in a better operational and capital position heading into the 2028-31 budget cycle.”

On the transit side, Paleczny said that while the commission tries to budget for fluctuations, especially when it comes to labour and fuel — there could be unexpected developments.

Article content

The London Transit Commission is keeping its eye on student enrolment and the tuition fees it counts on as international student numbers drop. The return of the provincial portion of the gas tax, currently being cut, could also significantly boost fuel prices.

Representatives with Museum London and the London Arts Council did not return a request for comment on their budget.

WHAT ARE THEY GETTING?

(Based on operating budgets in 2025 city hall budget update)

• London Public Library
  • 2024: $23,842,000
  • 2025: $24,738,000
  • 2026: $25,996,000
  • 2027: $27,342,000
• London Transit Commission
  • 2024: $58,349,000
  • 2025: $62,971,000
  • 2026: $70,241,000
  • 2027: $76,285,000
• Museum London
  • 2024: $2,002,000
  • 2025: $2,172,000
  • 2026: $2,279,000
  • 2027: $2,381,000
• Arts, Culture & Heritage Advisory & Funding
  • 2024: $2,465,000
  • 2025: $2,485,000
  • 2026: $2,505,000
  • 2027: $2,525,000

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE BUDGET?

City staff is hosting six different pop-up information sessions on the budget across the city between Nov. 2 and Nov. 13, along with any ward councillor meetings.

There will be just one public participation meeting at city hall at 4 p.m. on Nov. 19, where residents can write in or voice their opinions on the public record to council.

jmoulton@postmedia.com

Article content