AS APPROVED ON DECEMBER 19, 2019 Mayor Regional Councillor Regional Councillor Regional Councillor Regional Councillor Mayor Frank Scarpitti Don Hamilton Jack Heath Joe Li Jim Jones David Barrow City of Markham City of Markham City of Markham City of Markham City of Markham City of Richmond Hill Mayor Chairman & CEO Regional Councillor Maurizio Bevilacqua Wayne Emmerson Joe DiPaola City of Vaughan City of Richmond Hill A Message from York Region Chairman and CEO and Members of Regional Council York Regional Council is pleased to present The Regional Municipality of York’s 2020 budget. The combined budget for 2020 is $3.3 billion, including $2.5 billion in operating and a capital plan of $826 million. In preparing the budget, York Region faced a number of new challenges, Regional Councillor risks and uncertainties including changes in provincial priorities and Regional Councillor Mario Ferri Carmine Perrelli City of Vaughan funding agreements, and Regional Council’s focus on finding savings City of Richmond Hill across every part of the organization. Finding balance requires careful consideration, cooperation and good judgement. The result is a multi-year budget that demonstrates York Region’s collective commitment to continuous improvements and pursuing efficiencies. This budget meets the outlook endorsed by Regional Council in 2019, including an annual tax levy increase of 2.96% which includes 1.7% to maintain Regional services and a further 1.26% Regional Councillor for contributions to reserves. Continued funding through reserve Mayor Gino Rosati contributions will allow for 14 priority roads projects to move ahead earlier John Taylor City of Vaughan than originally planned. Town of Newmarket Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings have maintained York Region’s credit ratings of Aaa and AA+, respectively, and S&P upgraded its outlook for the Region from stable to positive. Both agencies noted York Region’s strong financial management. A critical element of financial management is the Regional Fiscal Strategy, which manages debt levels while enabling the capital investments we need to invest in a prosperous future. Regional Councillor Regional Councillor Linda Jackson Tom Vegh City of Vaughan Town of Newmarket Mayor Regional Councillor Mayor Mayor Mayor Mayor Margaret Quirk Robert Grossi Tom Mrakas Virginia Hackson Steve Pellegrini Iain Lovatt Town of Georgina Town of Georgina Town of Aurora Town of East Gwillimbury Township of King Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary i Planning and Budgeting at York Region 1 Budget Context 11 The Operating Budget 21 The Capital Budget 35 Accrual Budget Presentation 45 Transportation Services 53 York Region Rapid Transit Corporation 67 Environmental Services 77 Community and Health Services 99 Corporate Management and Governance 127 Court Services 141 Financial Initiatives 149 External Partners 153 YorkNet 159 York Regional Police 169 Long-Term Financial Planning 177 Appendix 187 Glossary 289 *Numbers throughout the book may not add due to rounding INTENTIONAL BLANK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020 budget includes $2.5 billion in operating costs and a tax increase of 2.96%. The Region is planning capital investments of $826 million in 2020, part of a 10-year capital plan of $7.1 billion. CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i YORK REGION’S 2020 BUDGET $2.5 billion $826.3 million + $3.3 billion Operating costs Capital costs Operating Budget: How the tax dollar is spent York Regional Transportation Police Services 29¢ 28¢ Other* 4¢ Financial Initiatives Community and 6¢ Health Services *Other includes: External Environmental 19¢ Partners, York Region Rapid Services Corporate Transit Corporation, YorkNet 5¢ Management and Court Services 9¢ Capital Budget: 10-year capital plan $1,000M $7.1 BILLION OVER 10 YEARS $2.7 BILLION IN CAPITAL SPENDING AUTHORITY $800M $826M $746M $738M $734M $723M $729M $600M $672M $701M $631M $596M $400M $200M $0M 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Capital Spending Authority (CSA) Forecasted Plan *The 2020 capital plan is $25 million lower than 2020 CSA due to an estimated $25 million reimbursement from Peel Region (see page 84). ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2020-2022 BUDGET REFLECTS KEY PRIORITIES The 2020-2022 budget for York Region presented in this book supports important Regional priorities that help advance its ultimate vision of strong, caring and safe communities. The budget lays out total spending of $3.3 billion for operations and capital projects in 2020, and an outlook for 2021 and 2022. The tax levy increase of 2.96% in 2020 is consistent with the level endorsed by Council through the 2019-2022 budget process. At the same time, it responds to fiscal challenges, including the impact of changes in provincial priorities. With a 10-year capital plan of $7.1 billion, up by almost $500 million from 2019, this budget continues the Region’s commitment to capital infrastructure to meet the growing and evolving needs of the Region. As part of the plan, contributions to a new reserve will allow 14 key growth-related road projects to move ahead more quickly than originally planned. The operating and capital budgets support priorities that reflect Vision 2051, the Region’s long-term vision for its future, and the 2019 to 2023 Strategic Plan. These priorities are aligned with four high-level community result areas: PRIORITY: INCREASE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY Supporting the review of over 1,000 development applications submissions annually to ensure that they align with Growth Plan mandates and infrastructure investments Investing $10.2 million to build 140 kilometres of fibre network and connect facilities to the Region’s network, adding over 170 connections through YorkNet to increase Regional connectivity Fostering an environment that attracts businesses and grows employment by continuing to implement the Region’s Economic Development Action Plan Investing $3.1 billion into transportation infrastructure for road network expansion, robust asset management and the transit network Advancing construction readiness of the Yonge Subway Extension Managing and maintaining the transportation network for 635,000 average daily travellers and 22 million transit rides a year PRIORITY: SUPPORT COMMUNITY HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING Delivering 118 billion litres of clean and safe drinking water annually to protect public health Adding 102 staff over three years to York Regional Police to address population growth, workload pressures and maintain quality police administrative services Building/redeveloping 6 paramedic stations, adding 47 staff over three years to Paramedic Services to maintain response times Supporting 6,700 social housing units and adding approximately 500 units to Housing York Inc. by 2023 Increasing tax levy funding for Public Health by $4.2 million in 2021 and $4.7 million in 2022 to maintain services and address reductions in provincial funding EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii PRIORITY: BUILD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT Investing $2.5 billion to grow and maintain the water and wastewater network to meet the needs of a growing population Maintaining high rates of waste diversion, currently at 94%, to manage waste as a resource Planting 300,000 trees and shrubs between 2020-2022 to maintain natural resources and preserve green space Creating a welcoming pedestrian realm through streetscaping and greening of centres and corridors PRIORITY: DELIVER TRUSTED AND EFFICIENT SERVICES Responding to technological changes, protecting resident information and improving customer experience Providing consolidated access to York Region services at 17150 Yonge Street that will result in long-term lease savings Maintaining the Region’s growing asset base, and contributing to reserves for future rehabilitation and replacement of capital assets Ensuring fiscal sustainability through prudent debt and reserve management Multi-year budgeting provides a valuable planning framework. The Region adopted multi-year budgeting to better align spending with priorities in the four-year Strategic Plan. Multi-year budgeting also offers the added benefit of greater clarity about activities and funding in future years, and improved fiscal discipline. A MORE CHALLENGING CONTEXT FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET The 2020-2022 Regional operating budget includes gross spending of $2.5 billion in 2020, growing to $2.6 billion by 2022. About half the budget would be funded from the tax levy, with the balance coming from water and wastewater user rates, transit fares, other non-tax revenues, federal and provincial grants and subsidies, and drawdowns from development charge reserves. York Region’s operating budget summary Tax Levy Revenue $1.2B, 48% Gross Expenditures Non-Tax-Levy $2.5B, 100% Revenue $1.3B, 52% Expenditures $2.5B Funding iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The operating budget reflects population growth, rising YORK REGION SERVICES expectations about service quality, and more complex needs as a result of aging and other demographic factors. Urbanization is York Region provides services to creating operating pressures on infrastructure and human residents, often working in concert with its services, and the budget must also address a heavier regulatory nine local municipal partners—the towns burden and rising cost of living. of Aurora, East Gwillimbury and Georgina, Township of King, City of Markham, Town In the 2020-2022 budget, the Region faces significant pressures of Newmarket, the cities of Richmond Hill related to changes in provincial