Budget input sessions draw crowds of concerned Londoners

Public transit, the city's arts sector and a looming property-tax hike were among the issues brought forward by Londoners giving their input on the municipal budget process. 

More than 100 Londoners were at city hall for a budget public participation meeting on Monday, one of several being held this month and next as leaders work to finalize figuring out who gets money and who doesn't. 

The multi-year budget, which will fund services and operations until 2027, will come with a property tax hike. The largest request for cash — and one the mayor said last week he "unequivocally " supports — is a $672-million budget from police. 

London's paratransit system, the London police budget and the city's arts sector were among the three top concerns heard Monday night. Here is what some Londoners had to say.

Paratransit is a 'broken system'

Booking and using the paratransit system is time consuming and combersome, said user Natalie Judges. One day, she had to dial more than 700 times just to get through to the booking line. The challenges have forced her to miss many important medical appointments because of delays.

"It delays what I need to do to get ready in the morning. It's stressful and it's just creates all kinds of anxiety just to make a booking," she said. "Paratransit is a broken system."

The system could be more reliable if it were run by the city instead of being contracted out to private transportation providers like Voyago, Judges said.

Along with enhancements to the paratransit booking system, Judges wants better sensitivity training for drivers to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all riders, and to have the paratransit app be more user friendly. 

"It would be important for users to know actual arrival times of the bus and if a bus happens to break down or be delayed for any reason for more than 30 minutes, so we can seek alternate arrangements or shelters to wait for our bus," Judges said.

Reduce crime, improve safety

Downtown resident Nigel Gilby said the biggest issue for people who live and run businesses in the downtown core is safety. 

"There's just rampant theft and break-ins occurring all the time. I've had my own vehicle broken into on two occasions," he said. 

"It's sad, because this affects people that may be thinking of not only coming into the city to live, but businesses that want to settle here. They don't just look at the land where they're going to build their factory, they look at the city and what it's got to offer."

Although he wasn't initially in favour of increasing the police budget, learning about 911 response times and London's crime rate shifted Gilby's perspective on the issue. He believes an increased police presence is vital to curbing crime, he said.

Another speaker, David Pasquino said he can't endorse the business cases regarding police spending in its entirety.

"Especially some of the items such as the second light-armoured vehicle, a remote-piloted aircraft system and a dedicated vehicle. However, I do endorse body cameras and those should be adopted as soon as possible for the greater good of the community," he said.

Expansion of arts programs

The London Arts Council wants to expand its community arts investment program as the number of artists the organization supports has grown significantly, but funding has stayed the same over the years, said executive director Eunju Yi.

"The arts and culture sectors is suffering due to the post-pandemic era and inflation" Yi said. "Artists are often financially disadvantaged and right above the poverty level."

Since establishing in 2001, the program receives $700,000 annually and its expansion would require council to approve another $300,000 gradually. Yi believes the sector needs to grow, especially with London's UNESCO City of Music designation, she said. 

A second public participation meeting will take place on Feb. 27.