Regional Chair Redman collaborates with national leaders on new funding model for growing municipalities

Waterloo Region – Regional Chair Karen Redman joined colleagues from industry and government in Ottawa last week as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Municipal Growth Summit.  

The summit focused on strategies to address the challenges and opportunities facing Canada’s fastest-growing municipalities, including the need for a new Municipal Growth Framework that better links municipal revenue with demographic and economic growth.

Like many large communities across Canada, Waterloo Region is facing population growth with infrastructure and service needs that outpace revenues to deliver them. 

“The Region of Waterloo and our partners are expanding services to meet the growing needs of residents. This includes increased paramedic services, 30% increase in transit ridership, doubling of shelter spaces, and building more affordable housing in the last 3 years than in the last decade,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman.

“Local taxpayers fund over $150 million of services that should be funded by provincial or federal governments. This is not sustainable for our community. Like other growing municipalities across Canada, we need a new funding framework.”

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities will present on the Municipal Growth Framework at Regional Council’s first Plan and Budget committee meeting on October 4th. 

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