Waterloo Region council approved its 2016 budget on Wednesday.
The budget features a 2.96 per cent tax increase – meaning an extra $54 in property taxes for a home assessed at $302,000, which is the median value in the region.
While the budget does not include a large amount of new spending items, several councillors pointed to transit as one area that saw improvements.
“Transit services are important, and they’re placing growing pressure on our budgets,” Coun. Sean Strickland told CTV News.
New transit services included in the 2016 budget include increases to the MobilityPLUS service for people with mobility challenges, as well as service to the office of Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region.
Conestoga College students will also be able to purchase the same discounted passes as are available for students at Waterloo’s universities. Eleven bus drivers will be hired and nine buses purchased to meet anticipated increases to the demand for Grand River Transit service around the college.
“We’re continuing to get more and more requests. More and more people want support to use our bus service,” Strickland said.
Outside of transit, the budget also allows for the creation of one new 24-hour ambulance shift.
