Pickering’s 2024 Budget

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Budget decisions can have a profound impact on our daily lives. This is why engaging with the community is an important part of this process!

View Budget Presentation & Mayor's 2024 Budgets

View the Mayor's Proposed Capital Budget & 2025-2033 Forecast and Mayor's Proposed Current Budget (posted January 30, 2024).

Pickering is a thriving city thanks to the residents and businesses who choose to live, work, and invest here. Thank you to everyone who provided us with their priorities for ensuring a good quality of life, as it relates to municipal service, program and infrastructure needs. Input received has been reviewed by the City's Director, Finance & Treasurer and Mayor Ashe for consideration in developing the proposed 2024 Capital and Current Budgets.

Cancellation - Notice of Special Meeting of Council

Please note that the Special Council Meeting scheduled for February 20, 2024, for proposed amendments to the Mayor’s 2024 Budget, has been cancelled, as there were no proposed budget amendment forms submitted by the Friday, February 9, 2024 deadline.

In accordance with the Municipal Act, the 2024 Mayor’s Budget will be deemed adopted on March 1, 2024.

Budget Presentation by City’s Director, Finance & Treasurer - watch now!

The City invited residents to tune in for a virtual presentation and Q&A with the City's Director, Finance & Treasurer, to break down the 2024 Draft Capital Budget Highlights.

If you missed it, you can watch here:


Strong Mayor Powers - new for the 2024 Budget

The Mayor has special powers and duties under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001 S.O. 2001, c. 25 and in accordance with O. Reg. 530/22 and O. Reg. 580/22. Part of these special powers includes the ability to prepare and propose the City’s budget, subject to possible Council amendments, and the Mayor’s ability to veto such amendments, which are subject to an override process that may be accomplished by two-thirds of the Council. As such, Mayor Ashe has provided Direction to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and the Director, Finance & Treasurer pertaining to the 2024 City of Pickering Budget. View Direction 01-2023.

Legislative framework governing the Mayor’s special powers and duties under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001 S.O. 2001, c. 25

Under O. Reg. 530/22, the Mayor is required to propose the budget by February 1st. After the Mayor proposes the budget, Council can pass resolutions to amend the budget within 30 days. The Mayor may veto a Council budget resolution within 10 days after the expiry of the amendment time frame. Council may then attempt to override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds majority vote, within 15 days after the expiry of the Mayor’s veto time frame (under the legislation these time frames may be shortened). At the end of this process, the resulting budget is “deemed” to be adopted by the municipality. Learn more.

See Schedule A (page 40) of the Procedure By-law for excerpts from the Municipal Act (the “Act”), pertaining to the exercise of the Special Powers and duties provided to the Mayor as the Head of Council for the City of Pickering. The provisions that follow are provided to inform Council and the public on the process to be carried out when the Special Powers are utilized. These Special Powers, commonly referred to as “Strong Mayor Powers”, are exercised under provincial legislation and take precedence over the normal rules of procedure outlined in this By-law, where applicable.

Financial Impact of Bill 23

The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 23 in an effort to get more homes built faster.

Bill 23 amends the Development Charges Act by freezing, reducing, and exempting fees typically levied by municipalities and other authorities to help pay for the cost of growth.

Through this process, they have shifted some of the cost of growth from developers to municipalities. In 2023, the City lost $3,738,095 of DC revenues, and at this time, the preliminary estimate for the 2024 DC loss is approximately $2.5 million.

This shortfall can result in slower development of growth-related infrastructure, reduction in service levels, an increase in property taxes for taxpayers, or a combination of all three for many municipalities.

Simply put, unless offset with replacement funding, Bill 23 will significantly impact our ability to fund growth and the infrastructure needed to support our growing community.

The City is proposing to use casino revenues to make up the 2023 development charge shortfall from Bill 23.

What are Development Charges?

Development charges are fees paid by developers to help pay for growth-related costs like roads, transit, water and sewer infrastructure, parks and community/recreational facilities.

2024 Budget Highlights

The City’s 2024 Capital & Operating budgets were adopted on March 1, 2024 in accordance with section 284.16 of the Municipal Act.

The City’s portion of the residential property tax bill increased by 1.25 percent (this equates to $88.42 on the average assessed home in Pickering of $612,000.) This increase, when combined with the Region of Durham and School Board increases, resulted in an average increase of 5.42 percent on the total property tax bill (based on the Durham Region approved budget guideline of a 7.5% levy increase).

  • The final 2024 Current Budget is $ 87,429,155
  • The final 2024 Capital Budget is $108,596,900

Budget Pressures

  • Current high-inflation environment – costs for routine service delivery and construction/building activity has increased significantly.
  • Revenue loss from new provincial legislation, like Bill 23 – the Province is shifting some of the development-related costs of growth from the developers to municipalities.

Quick Links

How does the budget work?

Every year, City of Pickering approves the Current (also known as the Operating) and Capital Budgets. The Current and Capital Budgets outline how the City will use its financing to deliver services to residents. The Current Budget focuses on day-to-day expenses, while the Capital Budget covers major infrastructure and equipment requirements.

Property taxes are the City of Pickering's main source of revenue, and the 2024 Budget will determine what the property tax levy will be in 2024. The property tax levy is the amount of money that the City requires to provide services such as snow clearing, road repair, emergency services, parks maintenance, and libraries, to name a few.

Watch a short video on how municipalities build their budget:

Capital Budget

The Capital Budget is used for long term investments, like infrastructure and facilities, that are paid off over time. This includes projects related to roads, bridges and sidewalks, vehicles and equipment, streetlights, playgrounds, and trails. It includes new infrastructure projects as well as the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.

Take a look back at 2023's key infrastructure projects:


Take a look back at 2022’s key infrastructure projects:


Current Budget

The Current Budget, also known as an Operating Budget, covers the day-to-day expenses required to deliver services to residents. These costs can return year-after-year and include services such as roads, parks, and sport field maintenance, staffing and utilities for City facilities like libraries and community centres, and fire services. Most of the funds for the Current Budget are raised through property taxes and the remainder comes from a variety of sources like user and permit fees and licences. This budget is prepared by each municipal department and reflects that area of responsibility.

Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?


  • 13.18% of your tax dollars goes to the Boards of Education
  • 55.62% of your tax dollars goes to the Region of Durham
  • 31.20% of your tax dollars goes to the City of Pickering

Exploring Funding Sources

While property taxes are the City of Pickering's main source of revenue, the City seeks out other funding opportunities to help relieve the residential tax load.

This includes:

1. Actively seeking and applying for eligible funding and grant programs from both the Federal and Provincial governments.

2. Naming rights partnerships.

3. The City’s Municipal Contribution Agreement with Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation, in which it receives revenues for hosting the Pickering Casino Resort.

Since Pickering Casino Resort opened in July 2021, OLG has issued non-tax gaming revenue payments, totaling $38,714,188 (up to December 31, 2023), to the City of Pickering for hosting the facility, as part of its Municipal Contribution Agreement with Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation (OLG). Pickering also shares a portion of this revenue with the Region of Durham.

Casino revenues have been used for both Current and Capital Budget items like:

  • Funding for community groups as part of the City’s Community Grants Program
  • City Centre project-related planning activities and design costs
  • Gravel lot parking upgrades (behind Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex)
  • Bay Ridges Kinsmen Park soccer turf replacement, Beverly Morgan Park track replacement, various pedestrian signal upgrades, various fire station hall upfits, and the snow clearing program that so many of Pickering’s senior citizens rely on during the winter season.
  • Accessible pedestrian signals
  • Pickering Heritage & Community Centre
  • Beachfront Park Master Plan
  • Tennis court flooring replacement at Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex
  • Community park rehabilitation and enhancements
  • Make up the development charge shortfall from Bill 23

Please view page 6 of the Mayor’s 2024 Capital Budget and Forecast for a list of new assets and asset renewal projects funded by casino dollars.

Educational Videos

Take a look through our videos below to get a better understanding of each topic.

Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) 101 - learn more about how your property tax is calculated.


Budget decisions can have a profound impact on our daily lives. This is why engaging with the community is an important part of this process!

View Budget Presentation & Mayor's 2024 Budgets

View the Mayor's Proposed Capital Budget & 2025-2033 Forecast and Mayor's Proposed Current Budget (posted January 30, 2024).

Pickering is a thriving city thanks to the residents and businesses who choose to live, work, and invest here. Thank you to everyone who provided us with their priorities for ensuring a good quality of life, as it relates to municipal service, program and infrastructure needs. Input received has been reviewed by the City's Director, Finance & Treasurer and Mayor Ashe for consideration in developing the proposed 2024 Capital and Current Budgets.

Cancellation - Notice of Special Meeting of Council

Please note that the Special Council Meeting scheduled for February 20, 2024, for proposed amendments to the Mayor’s 2024 Budget, has been cancelled, as there were no proposed budget amendment forms submitted by the Friday, February 9, 2024 deadline.

In accordance with the Municipal Act, the 2024 Mayor’s Budget will be deemed adopted on March 1, 2024.

Budget Presentation by City’s Director, Finance & Treasurer - watch now!

The City invited residents to tune in for a virtual presentation and Q&A with the City's Director, Finance & Treasurer, to break down the 2024 Draft Capital Budget Highlights.

If you missed it, you can watch here:


Strong Mayor Powers - new for the 2024 Budget

The Mayor has special powers and duties under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001 S.O. 2001, c. 25 and in accordance with O. Reg. 530/22 and O. Reg. 580/22. Part of these special powers includes the ability to prepare and propose the City’s budget, subject to possible Council amendments, and the Mayor’s ability to veto such amendments, which are subject to an override process that may be accomplished by two-thirds of the Council. As such, Mayor Ashe has provided Direction to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and the Director, Finance & Treasurer pertaining to the 2024 City of Pickering Budget. View Direction 01-2023.

Legislative framework governing the Mayor’s special powers and duties under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001 S.O. 2001, c. 25

Under O. Reg. 530/22, the Mayor is required to propose the budget by February 1st. After the Mayor proposes the budget, Council can pass resolutions to amend the budget within 30 days. The Mayor may veto a Council budget resolution within 10 days after the expiry of the amendment time frame. Council may then attempt to override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds majority vote, within 15 days after the expiry of the Mayor’s veto time frame (under the legislation these time frames may be shortened). At the end of this process, the resulting budget is “deemed” to be adopted by the municipality. Learn more.

See Schedule A (page 40) of the Procedure By-law for excerpts from the Municipal Act (the “Act”), pertaining to the exercise of the Special Powers and duties provided to the Mayor as the Head of Council for the City of Pickering. The provisions that follow are provided to inform Council and the public on the process to be carried out when the Special Powers are utilized. These Special Powers, commonly referred to as “Strong Mayor Powers”, are exercised under provincial legislation and take precedence over the normal rules of procedure outlined in this By-law, where applicable.

Financial Impact of Bill 23

The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 23 in an effort to get more homes built faster.

Bill 23 amends the Development Charges Act by freezing, reducing, and exempting fees typically levied by municipalities and other authorities to help pay for the cost of growth.

Through this process, they have shifted some of the cost of growth from developers to municipalities. In 2023, the City lost $3,738,095 of DC revenues, and at this time, the preliminary estimate for the 2024 DC loss is approximately $2.5 million.

This shortfall can result in slower development of growth-related infrastructure, reduction in service levels, an increase in property taxes for taxpayers, or a combination of all three for many municipalities.

Simply put, unless offset with replacement funding, Bill 23 will significantly impact our ability to fund growth and the infrastructure needed to support our growing community.

The City is proposing to use casino revenues to make up the 2023 development charge shortfall from Bill 23.

What are Development Charges?

Development charges are fees paid by developers to help pay for growth-related costs like roads, transit, water and sewer infrastructure, parks and community/recreational facilities.

2024 Budget Highlights

The City’s 2024 Capital & Operating budgets were adopted on March 1, 2024 in accordance with section 284.16 of the Municipal Act.

The City’s portion of the residential property tax bill increased by 1.25 percent (this equates to $88.42 on the average assessed home in Pickering of $612,000.) This increase, when combined with the Region of Durham and School Board increases, resulted in an average increase of 5.42 percent on the total property tax bill (based on the Durham Region approved budget guideline of a 7.5% levy increase).

  • The final 2024 Current Budget is $ 87,429,155
  • The final 2024 Capital Budget is $108,596,900

Budget Pressures

  • Current high-inflation environment – costs for routine service delivery and construction/building activity has increased significantly.
  • Revenue loss from new provincial legislation, like Bill 23 – the Province is shifting some of the development-related costs of growth from the developers to municipalities.

Quick Links

How does the budget work?

Every year, City of Pickering approves the Current (also known as the Operating) and Capital Budgets. The Current and Capital Budgets outline how the City will use its financing to deliver services to residents. The Current Budget focuses on day-to-day expenses, while the Capital Budget covers major infrastructure and equipment requirements.

Property taxes are the City of Pickering's main source of revenue, and the 2024 Budget will determine what the property tax levy will be in 2024. The property tax levy is the amount of money that the City requires to provide services such as snow clearing, road repair, emergency services, parks maintenance, and libraries, to name a few.

Watch a short video on how municipalities build their budget:

Capital Budget

The Capital Budget is used for long term investments, like infrastructure and facilities, that are paid off over time. This includes projects related to roads, bridges and sidewalks, vehicles and equipment, streetlights, playgrounds, and trails. It includes new infrastructure projects as well as the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.

Take a look back at 2023's key infrastructure projects:


Take a look back at 2022’s key infrastructure projects:


Current Budget

The Current Budget, also known as an Operating Budget, covers the day-to-day expenses required to deliver services to residents. These costs can return year-after-year and include services such as roads, parks, and sport field maintenance, staffing and utilities for City facilities like libraries and community centres, and fire services. Most of the funds for the Current Budget are raised through property taxes and the remainder comes from a variety of sources like user and permit fees and licences. This budget is prepared by each municipal department and reflects that area of responsibility.

Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?


  • 13.18% of your tax dollars goes to the Boards of Education
  • 55.62% of your tax dollars goes to the Region of Durham
  • 31.20% of your tax dollars goes to the City of Pickering

Exploring Funding Sources

While property taxes are the City of Pickering's main source of revenue, the City seeks out other funding opportunities to help relieve the residential tax load.

This includes:

1. Actively seeking and applying for eligible funding and grant programs from both the Federal and Provincial governments.

2. Naming rights partnerships.

3. The City’s Municipal Contribution Agreement with Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation, in which it receives revenues for hosting the Pickering Casino Resort.

Since Pickering Casino Resort opened in July 2021, OLG has issued non-tax gaming revenue payments, totaling $38,714,188 (up to December 31, 2023), to the City of Pickering for hosting the facility, as part of its Municipal Contribution Agreement with Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation (OLG). Pickering also shares a portion of this revenue with the Region of Durham.

Casino revenues have been used for both Current and Capital Budget items like:

  • Funding for community groups as part of the City’s Community Grants Program
  • City Centre project-related planning activities and design costs
  • Gravel lot parking upgrades (behind Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex)
  • Bay Ridges Kinsmen Park soccer turf replacement, Beverly Morgan Park track replacement, various pedestrian signal upgrades, various fire station hall upfits, and the snow clearing program that so many of Pickering’s senior citizens rely on during the winter season.
  • Accessible pedestrian signals
  • Pickering Heritage & Community Centre
  • Beachfront Park Master Plan
  • Tennis court flooring replacement at Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex
  • Community park rehabilitation and enhancements
  • Make up the development charge shortfall from Bill 23

Please view page 6 of the Mayor’s 2024 Capital Budget and Forecast for a list of new assets and asset renewal projects funded by casino dollars.

Educational Videos

Take a look through our videos below to get a better understanding of each topic.

Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) 101 - learn more about how your property tax is calculated.


Page last updated: 15 Mar 2024, 09:58 AM