Scott Piatkowski

City/Township Council · Waterloo Ward 5

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

This candidate finalized their responses after this guide and scoring methodology was published.

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

Moderate, predictable tax increases to maintain service levels
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

Maintain current service levels, even if taxes rise
Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access

C. Capital & infrastructure

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 would oppose any scheme to privatize services. First, because there is no evidence that it saves money, but also because I am philosophically opposed to private interests profiting off essential public services.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on budgets?candidate's own words

The RIM Park debt (an example of poor Council oversight in the past) will finally be paid off in 2031. That will ease some of the fiscal pressure that the City of Waterloo has felt since 2001 (removing $19 million a year in debt payments from the budget) and provide Council with a range of choices, from limiting tax increases, to building reserves, to enhancing services -- or some combination of the three. While the next term of council ends in November 2030, it will fall to this group of Councillors to plan for this sea-change in municipal finances.

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

Posting explainer videos showing how money is raised and how it is spent, as well as which areas the municipality has discretion and which ones they do not.