Rami Said

Regional Council · Region of Waterloo

All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes Water

Budget & Taxes

Do you think the Region's or municipality's budget process should be more transparent and accessible to residents?single choice

It should be more transparent and accessible

Municipal and regional costs have generally risen faster than revenues restricted by property tax rules and limited local revenue tools. How would you balance tax increases against maintaining service levels and long-term financial sustainability?select up to 3 per part

A. Revenue approaches

Prioritize not increasing taxes and service fees
Actively pursue provincial and federal transfer funding and grants
Exploring new local revenue tools where permitted by provincial legislation

D. Growth & cost recovery

Re-evaluate development incentives or subsidies that create long-term liabilities

B. Service levels

Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access

C. Capital & infrastructure

Prioritize maintenance and state-of-good-repair over expansion
Defer or cancel capital projects with low long-term return on investment

Please describe one concrete example of a trade-off you would support (or oppose) when costs rise faster than revenues.candidate's own words

A priority would be to ensure tax payers are getting value for what they pay. That often means trying to avoid large tax increases and thus at times may involve deferring or cancelling capital projects that the community may not be fully in favour of.

If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words

Many discussions (such as our water crisis) are hidden behind unacceptable NDAs which result In no access or transparency of how decisions are made. Notes and discussions that affect decisions should be open to our community in a plain, easy to read format to ensure accountability.