CambridgeToday received the following letter to the editor from regional councillor and chair of the finance committee Michael Harris.
Last week, the Region of Waterloo approved one of the most challenging budgets it has been faced with.
A growing population. Increasing service demands. Costs that keep rising – for all of us. And underpinning all of this, a funding model that isn’t fair to local residents (more on this shortly) means several tough decisions were made.
After much discussion, Council unanimously approved a 6.9 per cent tax increase, which translates to about $13.75 for an average property each month.
The Region provides the bulk of essential services to the 650,000+ residents of this community. I know that Council and staff worked tirelessly to ensure a budget that responds to the community's needs, balancing budget pressures with needed investments as we ready ourselves for a population of one million.
I’ve seen a lot of apples to oranges comparisons recently and while it’s almost impossible to make an apples to apples comparison when it comes to a municipal budget, if we look at similar large regions and cities, we see that the Region is in line or better than our counterparts across Ontario.
I make this point not to defend a tax increase of 6.9 per cent, but to offer a realistic comparison as we all grapple with rising costs.
For 2024, Council chose to invest in maintaining essential services to the community, all while moving forward critical community needs.
We are adding 53,000 hours of new service on bus routes to meet our record-breaking demand with the addition of 20 bus operators.
We are stepping up with targeted housing investments and expediting lands to improve access to both market housing, but also affordable and supportive homes. We are providing resources to ensure sites are shovel-ready for homes.
We are addressing homelessness through a $240-million investment, that will see the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness put into action.
We are working to expand ION LRT to Cambridge and ensuring YKF, the fastest growing airport in Canada, can meet rising passenger numbers.
These are all services that residents rely on, but there is no denying that it is getting more expensive to provide them.
The bottom line is the regional tax levy funds programs and services far beyond its intended purpose. The region funds about $170-million in services through property taxation that provincial and federal partners should be paying for.
We live in one of the fastest-growing communities in the country. In a few years, our population will reach one million. Growth demands we invest in critical services and programs, but we can’t keep making those investments alone.
From buses to paramedics, and from waste management to clean drinking water, the level of service provided to residents by the region is unmatched. However, we are operating with an outdated revenue model that is not designed for this.
Municipalities across this province need higher levels of government to step up and pay their fair share, and we need this now. Waterloo region residents should not be double taxed to pay for pieces that should be funded by our provincial and federal partners.
Along with my colleagues on regional council, I will continue listening to residents, working with partners, and investing in priority areas. But we can't do it alone and now more than ever, we will continue advocating for a new deal that supports both affordability and growth.
Michael Harris
Kitchener
