Stephanie Goertz
City/Township Council · Wilmot
Back to candidatesBudget & 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
- Actively pursue provincial and federal transfer funding and grants
- Exploring new local revenue tools where permitted by provincial legislation
- We need to spend time finnding cost-effective ways to deal with our largest expenses. Water is one example. We should be addressing water lost through leaking infrastructure while also pursuing meaningful water-conservation measures that can reduce demand and potentially defer or reduce the need for expensive new capacity. Roads, drainage and flooding are other areas where we should compare conventional construction with preventative maintenance, natural infrastructure and other approaches that may provide better long-term value.
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
- 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
Reforming a policy affecting long-term costs
If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words
A budget isn't truly transparent simply because the documents are posted online. Residents should also be involved before the major budget decisions have effectively been made. Instead of presenting a largely completed budget and asking for comments, we should engage residents earlier about priorities, trade-offs and what they are willing to pay for.