Region of Waterloo staff hear public input on 2025 draft budget

The Region of Waterloo held its first public meeting Wednesday night to help decide where next year’s tax dollars should be spent and how much it will all cost.

Delegates weighed in as regional staff and councillors look to take that input into account while preparing next year’s operating budget.

Public transportation proved to be a hot topic at the Strategic Plan & Budget Public Input meeting.

“The GRT released their business plan for 2025 to 2030, and it’s amazing,” said Rodney Chan with Tri-Cities Transport Action Group. “They want a 10-minute frequent transit network. They want overnight transit, they want more express routes and this is great, but we need the regional council to support it with the adequate funding it needs to move forward with it.”

The push from that community group is being acknowledged by decision makers.

“[There’s a] need to deliver those critical pieces of infrastructure that we do here in the region, while again balancing the ability for people to pay and so we have some work to do for sure,” said Michael Harris, a regional councillor.

The proposed budget gives council a starting point of a 12 per cent to 13 per cent property tax increase.

But councillor Harris says they’re sharpening their pencils to make the final number much lower.

“We’ve had council marching orders to keep the increase under eight [per cent]. Our goal is to do better than that,” said Harris.

Regional staff point out a number of rising costs for next year’s budget. They include waste collection changes, transit and paramedic services enhancements, resources to end homelessness and upper government funding changes.

“These are core things that we just can’t cut. And so, I’ll be balancing those needs of what the public expects at what service level, and the ability for people to pay,” said Harris.

It is also worth noting this proposed budget and tax increase does not include funding for the Waterloo Regional Police Service.

There will be another meeting to gather public input on Nov. 27.

Council is expecting to figure out where it all lands and what it means for property tax bills when they vote on the budget Dec. 11.