Waterloo — Ward 5
2 candidates responded · 0 of 0 section answers were “did not respond”
Marty Rempel See responses
It should be more transparent and accessible
- 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
- Ensure new development pays a greater share of long-term infrastructure costs
- Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access
- 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
For Waterloo, I would support setting a clear target for a modest tax reduction and requiring Council and staff to identify efficiencies and lower-priority expenditures that can be deferred, reduced or eliminated to achieve it. I would not support simply cutting essential services or necessary infrastructure maintenance to produce a lower tax bill. Instead, I would look first at administrative costs, discretionary programs, duplication of services, consulting expenditures and projects that can reasonably be postponed. My concern is that continually increasing taxes to match rising costs is not a sustainable long-term strategy. Residents are facing higher costs in virtually every part of their household budgets, and municipal government has a responsibility to recognize that reality.
Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on budgets?candidate's own words
The budget should never be the source of economic inflation. Long term infrastructure should not add to debt. Infrastructure should be funded as much as possible up front and not exceed budgets
If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words
I would support a budget process that presents each major proposed increase alongside the alternatives: what it costs, what service it provides, whether it is essential, and what the consequences would be of delaying, reducing or eliminating it. Residents should be able to see not only the proposed budget, but also the choices Council is being asked to make. I would also support publishing a clear, plain-language summary showing how much of a typical property tax bill goes to each level of government and identifying the specific factors responsible for any municipal tax increase. Multi-year commitments and the future operating and infrastructure costs of major projects should be clearly identified rather than looking only at the current year’s expenditure.
Victoria Richardson See responses
It should be more transparent and accessible
- Moderate, predictable tax increases to maintain service levels
- Actively pursue provincial and federal transfer funding and grants
- Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access
- 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
Raising user fees inhibits people's ability to access vital services (eg. swim lessons)
If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words
Increased transparency makes understanding municipal politics easier and more accessibile
On the ballot but have not responded to survey (3)
- Eda Dede
- Scott Piatkowski
- Andrew Portwine
Full candidate list: CBC Waterloo Region election coverage ↗