Regional council approves $1.9B 2023 operating budget after lengthy debate

Region of Waterloo councillors approved a $1.9 billion operating budget for 2023 during a meeting Wednesday night.

This year's budget means an 8.5 per cent increase to the tax rate. It means an additional $53.40 for every $100,000 of assessed residential property value. A home assessed at $354,000, for example, would pay an additional $187 this year.

In a news release after the budget was passed, the region highlighted some of the spending that was approved, which included:

• $240 million for transit, including increasing service hours by five per cent on weekends.
• $163 million for the interim housing strategy, increase shelter capacity and new affordable housing developments.
• $147 million to modernize traffic signals, upgrade streetlights, put in new sidewalks, roundabouts and active transportation.
• $63 million for paramedic services, including the purchase of four new ambulances and 20 new paramedics.
• $40 million for improvements to the Region of Waterloo International Airport.
• $36 million for climate change including expanding active transportation options and greening infrastructure, assets and facilities.

Debate over police budget

The final vote came after a lengthy day of budget deliberations, including debate over the $214 million budget put forward by the Waterloo Regional Police Services board.

Coun. Colleen James, who represents Kitchener, made a motion Wednesday evening to amend the police budget by $1 million — a motion that ultimately failed. 

James said the budget, as presented, included paying for 19 new officers going back to January. 

However the officers aren't expected to be hired until at least April, creating an opportunity to save approximately $1 million in this year's budget, she said. 

Coun. Rob Deutschmann, who represents Kitchener, said he felt James' motion provided a compromise.

"It's fair. It's us paying for what we are getting when we get it and I don't think that's an unreasonable proposition," he said.

Councillors sought clarity

Councillors briefly went into closed session to get legal advice on James' amendment.

The region's chief financial officer, Craig Dyer, said council's job is to set a budget for police but cannot approve or not approve specific line items in the police budget.

"The obligation of council is to approve a budget for police and that budget can be the number that has been brought to you by the board, or it could be a different number but in approving a different number, you can't be specific as to what is or isn't included in that number," Dyer said.

Dyer noted James' amendment was within the spirit of the Police Services Act. Her amendment was voted on and resulted in a tie, which meant it failed.  

How the police budget vote went

Those who voted in favour of cutting $1 million from the budget during the committee meeting were:

• Coun. Rob Deutschmann.
• Coun. Jim Erb.
• North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton.
• Coun. Chantal Huinink.
• Coun. Colleen James.
• Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe.
• Coun. Kari Williams.
• Coun. Pam Wolf.

Those who voted against the amendment were:

• Coun. Doug Craig.
• Coun. Michael Harris.
• Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett.
• Wellesley Mayor Joe Nowak.
• Regional Chair Karen Redman.
• Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen.
• Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz.
• Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

The motion to pass the police budget was passed in a vote of 10-6. Those who voted in support of the $214 million police budget were: 

• Coun. Doug Craig.
• Coun. Jim Erb.
• North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton.
• Coun. Michael Harris.
• Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett.
• Wellesley Mayor Joe Nowak.
• Regional Chair Karen Redman.
• Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen.
• Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz.
• Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

Those who voted against approving the police budget were:

• Coun. Rob Deutschmann.
• Coun. Chantal Huinink.
• Coun. Colleen James.
• Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe.
• Coun. Kari Williams.
• Coun. Pam Wolf.

Final budget vote

Vrbanovic called the budget discussion "long and vigorous" on Wednesday and at committee earlier in the day, said he would vote against the budget "with a heavy heart."

"I fundamentally believe that there's more work that needs to be done on this budget, that we needed to achieve some increased affordability for people. There are a lot of people struggling in our community," he said. 

Vrbanovic said he didn't feel like council "moved forward" on issues like affordability and affordable housing.

Deutschmann also said he could not support the budget because it didn't "reflect views that I have with respect to the type of community that I want to see."

In committee, it was a 10-6 vote on supporting the budget. In the council meeting right after the committee meeting, council approved the budget, but the breakdown was not said aloud or put up on-screen for people watching online from home.

In an interview Thursday morning on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition, Chair Karen Redman said she supported the budget because it "responds to the urgent needs that we've heard in the community."

"The budget is about growth and how complex and expensive growth is, and particularly for the kind of essential services the region provides," said Redman.

Redman said there were many groups that came forward to regional council asking for funding help, but the region "can't fund everything."

"There needs to be more work done clearly with the province of federal government, area municipalities, to make sure that we're funding at the region what we need to. Regional taxpayers shouldn't be funding health-care services. We can't be all things to all people," Redman said.

She added where those gaps appear, regional council needs to turn to the provincial and federal government for support. 

LISTEN | Regional Chair Karen Redman reflects on 2023 budget deliberations: