Just before Brampton councillors were set to vote on the 2013 budget Thursday, a citizens group told them they were rushing the process.

Still, mere minutes after departmental budgets were presented, council went ahead and approved a 4.9 per cent basic increase on the city’s portion of the 2013 property tax.

That quick turnaround was unusual even in Brampton, which typically takes a final vote on its budget long before neighbouring cities do. Municipalities usually leave anywhere from two weeks to two months between budget presentations and the final vote, so council has time to debate issues and the public can be engaged.

Councillors did decide, unanimously, to defer a decision on a possible additional 3.2 per cent special levy for a new hospital, following comments by the city’s chief administrative officer, John Corbett, who told council it would be best to invite public consultation first so as to make an “informed decision.”

The hospital levy could still be added to the tax bill, but not before the public gets a chance to weigh in — something critics have said was lacking in this year’s overall budget process.

“The decision to delay, defer the (vote) on the hospital (levy) was a good one,” said Doug Bryden, who spoke on behalf of the group Citizens For a Better Brampton.

“It allows us to defer the decision on the (overall) budget today,” he told councillors, adding that taking a rushed vote five days before Christmas does not allow taxpayers proper time to learn what they’re paying for.

Budget committee chair Gael Miles repeatedly interjected as Bryden and another resident suggested the budget vote was being rushed.

“There has been no haste,” she told Bryden. “Where this notion of haste comes from, I don’t know.”

“Of course it was done in haste,” Bryden told the Star. “Why else did they defer the vote on the hospital levy? The public doesn’t have any clue about what was being pushed through to pay for the hospital, and the city manager said public engagement should occur. I think it’s the same for the overall budget.”

Councillor Elaine Moore, who had expressed concern earlier in the week about the rushed budget process, particularly the proposed hospital levy, thanked Corbett for his recommendation to wait.

“There is a huge educational component to this,” Moore told council. “That’s the value of having public meetings. People will want to know what a (levy) means for them.”