Property tax set to increase in Kitchener following council’s budget approval
The average home owner in Kitchener can expect to pay approximately $56 more in property taxes this year.
City council approved a 4.8 per cent increase for the 2023 budget, including $100,000 in capital funding for the ‘Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Equity’ and ‘Love my hood’ community grant programs.
“When I hear the multitude of work that gets done through these funds,” said Councillor Aislinn Clancy. “They’re creative, they’re hyper-localized. It again addresses our equity where everyone is welcome, they can show up as they are.”
“If we look at the numbers that are on these charts, it shows that the requested amount is three times what was allocated, so there clearly is an interest out there in the community for these funds,”
said Councillor Debbie Chapman.
Residents can also expect to pay roughly $42 more per year due to a water utility increase of 4.5 per cent.
According to a press release issued by the City of Kitchener on Thursday, throughout the budget process, council took a “people-focused approach prioritizing affordability, supporting core services, responding to growth and investing in our community.”
One of those investments includes $1 million in annual investments in parks, trails and playgrounds.
“Council worked hard to balance various community priorities while completing their first budget of the 2023-2026 term,” said Kitchener Mayor, Berry Vrbanovic. “It reflects the community priorities identified through staff’s extensive consultation with residents and councillors’ conversations with their constituents.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Trudeau says Conservative interference study motion won't be a confidence vote
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the vote later today on the Conservative motion calling for a new study into foreign interference will not be a confidence vote.

Inflation in Canada: February saw largest deceleration since April 2020
The annual pace of inflation cooled in February as it posted its largest deceleration since April 2020.
opinion | What happens if you mistakenly get a larger tax refund?
Was your 2022 tax refund larger than you expected it to be?
Nordstrom Canada liquidation sales expected to begin today as store prepares for exit
Nordstrom is expected to begin liquidating its stores across Canada today.
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial begins for Deer Valley ski crash
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial is set to begin on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
'Here I Am' photo gallery showcases older Canadians with Down syndrome
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day and to mark the occasion a Canadian organization launched a campaign showcasing older people living with the condition.
U.S. teacher shot by 6-year-old speaks out: 'It's changed me'
A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said it has changed her life and she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day.
Report calls for restricting marketing to kids in grocery stores, restaurants
A new report that looks at the prevalence of marketing to children inside grocery stores and restaurants suggests regulation is needed to help reduce unhealthy food temptations.
Comparing the SVB collapse to 2008 crisis: Why one professor says the two are different
While the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the issues surrounding Credit Suisse have shaken investor confidence, a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis appears to be unlikely, one analyst says.