The City of Welland is rolling out new ways for residents to get involved in shaping the municipal budget, making the process easier to understand and more engaging.
This year, residents can explore Fund It, an online budget allocation tool that lets participants divide a fictional $1 million across City services like roads, recreation, parks, and emergency services.
Other tools include the annual Budget Survey, which gathers feedback on resident satisfaction and service trade-offs, and Plot a Project, a map-based platform where participants can suggest improvements in specific neighbourhoods and see ideas shared by others.
An in-person campaign, Bin There, Fund That, invites residents to “vote” with non-perishable food donations placed in bins labelled with different service areas.
The initiative, run in partnership with Open Arms Mission, supports families in need while sparking conversation about budget choices.
All feedback collected will be summarized and presented to Welland City Council at the end of the campaign to guide discussions for the 2026 budget, which formally begins when the Mayor issues the budget directive at the end of September.
(Written by Brandon Warby)