Tammy Gaudun Gies
City/Township Council · Wilmot Ward 3
Back to candidatesBudget & Taxes
It should be more transparent and accessible
- Moderate, predictable tax increases to maintain service levels
- Actively pursue provincial and federal transfer funding and grants
- Prioritize spending based on community need and measurable value, while ensuring that growth pays its fair share of the infrastructure and services it creates. Before increasing taxes, Council should identify efficiencies, pursue outside funding and clearly demonstrate why the additional revenue is necessary.
- Ensure new development pays a greater share of long-term infrastructure costs
- Re-evaluate development incentives or subsidies that create long-term liabilities
- Ensure growth decisions consider the full long-term cost to the community, including infrastructure maintenance, environmental impacts and public services—not just the upfront cost of getting a development built. Existing residents should not be left carrying costs that primarily result from new growth.
- Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access
- Reduce discretionary programs to protect core services
- Regularly review municipal services to ensure they are delivering value for residents, looking for efficiencies and better ways of doing things before reducing services or increasing taxes. Before asking residents to pay more or accepting reduced services, Council should be able to demonstrate that it has looked for efficiencies and is getting good value from the money it already collects. Essential services and programs that provide significant community value should be protected, while lower-priority spending should be evaluated based on need and measurable benefit.
- 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
If costs were rising faster than revenues, I would support deferring or cancelling a lower-priority capital project rather than automatically increasing taxes to fund it. Essential services and maintenance of existing infrastructure should come first. Before asking residents to pay more, I would want Council to demonstrate that the project is necessary, that more cost-effective alternatives have been considered, and that the long-term benefit justifies the expense. For growth-related infrastructure, I would also expect new development to contribute an appropriate share of the costs it creates, rather than shifting those costs onto existing taxpayers.
Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on budgets?candidate's own words
I believe taxpayers deserve both responsible spending and transparency about how their money is being used. Council should look for efficiencies and outside funding, prioritize essential services and the maintenance of existing infrastructure, and ensure new growth pays a fair share of the costs it creates. When tax increases or major new spending are necessary, residents should be given clear information about the costs, benefits and alternatives early enough to meaningfully participate in the decision. Transparency should not come after the decision is made—it should be part of how the decision is made.
If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words
Transparency needs to mean more than publishing information after decisions are largely settled. Residents should have access to meaningful information about major proposals, their costs and long-term implications early enough to ask questions and provide input. Confidentiality and NDAs may sometimes be necessary for legitimate reasons, but they should not become a way to keep residents in the dark or prevent public scrutiny and opposition to decisions that will significantly affect the community. Taxpayers deserve to understand what is being considered, why it is being considered, what it will cost, and what alternatives were evaluated before major commitments are made.