Sam Nabi
City/Township Council · Kitchener Ward 10
Back to candidatesThis candidate has participated in events hosted by one or more of the organizations that created this questionnaire. Their traffic light scores are based solely on the published methodology.
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
- Area-specific levies where residents in a defined area receive or request a distinct level of service
- Exploring new local revenue tools where permitted by provincial legislation
- Leveraging Kitchener Utilities to generate revenue for the clean energy transition
D. Growth & cost recovery
- Re-evaluate development incentives or subsidies that create long-term liabilities
- Maintain current growth and cost-sharing approaches
- Explore area rating for certain infrastructure maintenance costs
- e.g. snow clearing
B. Service levels
- Review service levels and effectiveness of current programs
- and audit the value for money of city services.
C. Capital & infrastructure
- Prioritize maintenance and state-of-good-repair over expansion
- Require lifecycle cost analysis before approving any new infrastructure
- 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
Maintaining access for subsidized recreation programming for low-income households.
If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words
More details should be provided of actual spending in budget documents shared at council meetings, down to the individual project level, instead of top-line department costs.