Challinor Encourages Council To Embrace Multi-year Fiscal Planning, Return to Regular Council/Staff Financial Workshops

During the late summer, Town of Milton Ward 2 Local Councillor John Challinor II had discussed the need with senior Town staff to adopt multi-year operational budget planning as well as consider participation by Milton Council in regular financially-focused workshops.

Councillor Challinor and Town of Milton Ward 1 Local Councillor Kristina Tesser Derksen had successfully encouraged Town staff and Milton Council to organize and attend a series of similar workshops between 2019 and 2022.

Council recently unanimously approved a motion by Councillor Challinor, seconded by Town of Milton Ward 4 Local Councillor Sarah Marshall, to resume regular financially-focused workshop activity during this term of Council as well as to develop a detailed multi-year financial strategy for the corporation. Councillor Marshall and Councillor Tesser Derksen had also expressed their concerns to Town staff in early fall about the need for such workshops.

Councillor Challinor indicated that an in-depth, multi-year operational budget plan will help the Town of Milton weather economic uncertainty and uneven funding activity by the senior levels of government in the years to come.

He also strongly believes that regular fiscally oriented workshops attended by Council and staff will improve everyone’s understanding of the financial challenges faced by the municipality as well as improve fiscal literacy. CR