Woolwich — Ward 1

2 candidates responded

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

Nathan Cadeau See responses

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

D. Growth & cost recovery

Ensure new development pays a greater share of long-term infrastructure costs
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
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

I’d support delaying a lower-priority capital expansion before cutting maintenance on the roads, facilities and other infrastructure we already own. Every new asset comes with decades of operating, maintenance and replacement costs, so I want council looking at the full lifecycle cost before we build it. When money is tight, maintaining what we have and protecting core services should come first.

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

I don’t support setting an arbitrary tax cap and then working backwards from it. Municipal costs don’t move neatly with consumer inflation, and years of holding taxes artificially low can leave taxpayers with a much larger infrastructure bill later. I want every major spending decision put through a simple value test. Do we need it, what value does it provide, what will it cost over its full life, who pays, and what result are we getting?

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

Residents should be able to see, in plain language, what’s driving the tax increase, what each major budget decision costs, what service they’re receiving for it, and what happens if we defer the spending. I’d also like clearer reporting on reserves, debt, infrastructure needs and the long-term operating costs attached to major capital projects.

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Tony Stevens See responses