Regional budget to be finalized today, councillors looking to get tax increase to 2.5%
Posted Mar 4, 2015 05:07:55 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Waterloo Region’s 2015 budget to be finalized today.
Regional Councillor Sean Strickland says most of regional council would like to get the tax increase down to 2.5%. The current tax increase stands at 2.73%, and if approved that would mean an extra $51 for the average homeowner.
Council will also discuss a number of extras in the agenda today including a request from the Mayor of Wellesley who wants to keep a rural emergency response unit, and the Mayor of Woolwich Township, who wants to keep rural waste transfer stations open past March 31st.
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job of making those base budget reductions and presenting a budget that reflects a big balance between meeting the needs for service”. says Strickland. “Economic development and ambulance, two key areas we need to invest some money, while at the same time pairing back in other areas.”
He adds that the region is a large consumer of fuel, which has dropped significantly over the past six months, so they can likely find savings in that area.
