Welland residents invited to share priorities for Budget 2027

Welland residents are invited to share their priorities for Budget 2027 through a series of online engagement activities available from September 9 to October 9. The feedback will help the City better understand what matters to the community as it plans for the services, infrastructure, and investments residents rely on every day.

Through the City’s Engage Welland platform, residents can participate in three distinct engagement opportunities: a Budget Survey, exploring spending priorities through the Fund It activity, and using Plot a Project to identify where they would like to see improvements or community projects across Welland.

The Budget Survey asks residents about priorities, trade-offs, and City services. Fund It gives participants a fictional $1 million to allocate across City service areas, providing an interactive way to consider the choices involved in municipal budgeting. Plot a Project allows residents to place digital pins on a map of Welland to identify location-specific ideas for amenities, improvements, and community projects.

“Building a budget is about making choices that support our community today while preparing Welland for the future,” said Mayor Frank Campion. “Hearing from residents gives Council another important perspective as it considers community priorities, affordability, and the investments needed to support a growing city. I encourage residents to take part and share what matters to them.”

Budget 2027 is being developed during a municipal election year, with the process extending into early 2027 under the leadership of a new incoming mayor. Public engagement will close October 9, with results shared in mid-December. The incoming mayor will also provide direction to staff in mid-December to prepare the proposed budget, which is expected to be published for review in January.

Council’s consideration of the proposed budget is expected to continue through January and February, including staff presentations, opportunities for Councillors to ask questions and propose amendments, and a budget amendment meeting. The approval process will conclude with Budget 2027 being adopted. All anticipated timing is at the Mayor’s discretion and subject to applicable legislative requirements.

“A municipal budget touches almost every part of daily life in Welland, but the process behind it isn’t always easy to understand,” said Marc MacDonald, chief communications and engagement officer. “We want to give residents clear information and useful context at each stage so they can participate from an informed perspective and see how the process moves from community input to the decisions that shape the final budget.”

Residents can participate in Budget 2027 engagement activities and find budget information, timelines, frequently asked questions, and supporting resources at https://engagewelland.ca/2027-budget.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Paul Orlando
Communications Specialist
905-735-1700 x2133
paul.orlando@welland.ca