Barbara Harrington
City/Township Council · Cambridge Ward 6
Back to candidatesBudget & Taxes
It should be more transparent and accessible
- Prioritize not increasing taxes and service fees
- Exploring new local revenue tools where permitted by provincial legislation
- Don't let taxes get in arrears to $38 million, developmental fees should stay and not be reduced. Tax breaks for major developments shouldn't exist especially in this time of economic crisis
- Ensure new development pays a greater share of long-term infrastructure costs
- Re-evaluate development incentives or subsidies that create long-term liabilities
- Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access
- Reduce discretionary programs to protect core services
- Prioritize maintenance and state-of-good-repair over expansion
- Require lifecycle cost analysis before approving any new infrastructure
Please describe one concrete example of a trade-off you would support (or oppose) when costs rise faster than revenues.candidate's own words
I think adjusting the development incentives and subsidies to maintain lower tax level or increase is ideal. It'll slow down our growth enough that we can build better infrastructure.
If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words
I think that a simplified "in and out" type budget that could be released to the public in a way that you don't need a finance degree to understand it. We don't need every fine detail of entry, You only need to have the revenue the expenses and the balance for each smaller section the larger infrastructure sections it can go a little more detailed but the simplified ones can be just in and outs