Our Willowdale City Budget Virtual Town Hall – Key Takeaways

Thank you to everyone who joined our virtual town hall on Toronto’s proposed 2026 City Budget. Residents shared thoughtful questions and feedback on affordability, growth pressures in Willowdale, community safety, housing, youth programs, and climate action. Below, you will find more information on our discussion, along with links to the presentation and budget notes.

Budget Priorities

Mayor Olivia Chow emphasized a focus on affordability, service stability, and maintaining frontline services amid ongoing inflation and cost pressures across City divisions. Residents were encouraged to continue sharing input to help inform final budget decisions.

Growth & Advocacy

Participants highlighted Willowdale’s role as a Priority Growth Centre and the need for stronger infrastructure and service funding to match rapid growth. The Mayor encouraged collaboration between resident associations, the City, and provincial representatives to advocate for better funding tools and revenue-sharing from senior levels of government.

Community Safety & Mental Health

Discussion focused on the balance between policing and mental health supports. City staff highlighted improved emergency response times, ongoing modernization efforts, and expanded community crisis response. The Toronto Community Crisis Service is proposed to receive $37.3M in 2026, supporting non-police mental health and crisis interventions.

Housing, Shelters & Homelessness

The budget proposes increased funding for shelters and housing supports, alongside new shelter construction and expanded supportive housing. Mayor Chow and I shared progress in reducing the number of people unmatched to shelter spaces by 40% and emphasized the importance of clear, human-centred language when discussing homelessness in future reports and communication.

Youth, Recreation & Sports

Residents raised concerns about access to affordable recreation and sport—particularly for girls and youth. City staff encouraged community advocacy and highlighted existing City programs supporting women and girls in sport such as ‘Girls Who Move, Move The World!’, as well as opportunities to work with school boards and provincial partners.

Climate Action

Climate action remained a key theme. The proposed budget includes continued investments in greening City operations, expanding electric vehicle infrastructure, upgrading City buildings to low-carbon standards, and advancing TransformTO targets. Staff noted that some climate and building initiatives require stronger provincial collaboration.

Stay Engaged

Residents are encouraged to review the proposed budget, participate in deputations, and continue engaging with decisions affecting our city.

Check out the slide deck for the BudgetTO Budget Launch here!

Find every Division’s Budgets here!