State of the City Address
Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring presented his first State of the City address to a sold-out audience of 400 Burlington business people and residents at a breakfast held by the Burlington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, January 20, 2011.Â
Goldring focused on the current state of the city, his vision for the city as an “affordable, inclusive and complete†community and his action plan for the next few years. He noted that Burlington weathered the recession well and that capital spending costs from the previous two years had been lower than budgeted precisely because the City kept building during the recession when resources were available and costs reduced.
Challenges for the City in the coming years will be in addressing Burlington’s slowing growth rate (which will result in less revenue) and the changing demographic of the city, where Burlington will soon see 20% of its population at retirement age or older.
Goldring pointed out that in while Burlington itself provides excellent amenities, residents should also appreciate and embrace the amenities, services and facilities immediately surrounding the city:Â education opportunities at McMaster University, Mohawk and Sheridan Colleges; the emerging technology centre in Kitchener-Waterloo; and the world-renowned wine district in Niagara among them.
Community engagement was a recurring theme throughout the presentation, and the mayor stressed the importance of citizens’ input in planning for the future.Â
Anticipating attendees’ interest in the Burlington pier, Goldring noted that the new Council had already spent 14 hours in briefings about the pier and are “united in their resolve to complete this project.â€Â He added that the pier will be completed as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible.