Final budget day in Waterloo
Posted Feb 13, 2012 10:26:52 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Waterloo city councillors are meeting today to finalize the 2012-2014 budget.
Today’s discussions began with a proposed tax increase of 2.16% or roughly $12.75 more for the average household this year. Before you factor in the phasing in of the stormwater management fee, the city tax rate increase is 1.09%.
The proposed hike for 2013 is 2.26% and for 2014 is 2.46%.
Chair of the city’s Finance Committee, Karen Scian, says doing a three year budget, “allows us to cut some costs internally and plan more effectively for the future.”
Scian says this budget has had its challenges. “We worked really hard this year to find close to $1.8 million worth of efficiencies internally,” she explains. “So, our challenge is keeping service levels and keeping the services that our community is used to, running at the same high level of service.”
Councillors are also looking at the future of Car-Free Sundays, which last year saw events held in the Uptown on four separate Sundays, with a stretch of King Street closed for the activities. Scian says they’re looking at how to fund the program long term and at least make a three year commitment.
Today’s budget meeting is being streamed live on the city’s website.
