Regional Council approves 2.58 per cent tax increase

Waterloo Region – Regional Council approved the 2015 budget today.

The 2015 tax increase of 2.58 per cent will help provide the enhanced citizen services and infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of our community.

The Region is a major provider of essential community services including helping families, children and seniors, ensuring the quality of our drinking water, getting people to the hospital in emergencies, ensuring the availability of affordable housing, providing public transit, garbage and recycling collection, planning for growth, and supporting other vital community interests.

“Going forward we need to invest in services that maintain our quality of life,” said Ken Seiling, Regional Chair.  “This budget meets the high demand for services expected in our community.”

“To balance this year’s budget Council had to decide how to manage our region’s growth while meeting diverse service needs and community requests in a way that is fiscally sustainable,” said Sean Strickland, Regional Councillor and Chair of the Budget Committee.

Additional funds have been allocated in this budget to invest in a number of critical services. These include children’s and seniors’ services, a Community Homelessness Prevention project and enhanced paramedic services. This budget also continues to support infrastructure needs through planned Regional road expansion and maintenance, bridge maintenance, the rehabilitation of affordable housing units and by expanding public transit – both GRT and ION. 

“Regional staff worked hard to identify efficiencies and other budget reduction options for Council,” said Mike Murray, Chief Administrator Officer. “During this year’s budget process we identified over $1.9 million in administrative savings and operating efficiencies, and continue to focus on providing excellent value to the community.”

The increase of 2 per cent for Regional services and 0.58 per cent for Police services will impact the average household by $45.94.  Regional services comprise about 50 per cent of the residential property tax bill.

**See attachment for Budget 2015 Backgrounder

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For more information, please contact:

Ken Seiling, Regional Chair, 519-575-4585

Sean Strickland, Budget Committee Chair 519-575-4404 Ext. 3414

Craig Dyer, Chief Financial Officer, 519-575-4545