CBC Election Priorities
Marty Rempel
Ward five
Waterloo
City council
Top three priorities in the Municipal Election
My first priority is responsible taxation. I fully agree with the Property Tax Payers Alliance that taxes should not be inflationary. Taxes should not exceed inflation, as they have over the last several years, with increases exceeding 6 percent each year. Given that taxpayers in the region are currently in arrears by approximately $ 150 million, that statistic shows municipal-level taxation has become a burden. Regional and City budgets are developed independently, so it is easy for one level of government to blame the other for higher taxes when, in fact, better planning and more fiscal responsibility could better control and regulate taxes. High levels of taxation affect the housing market and are one factor shaping entry and exit from it. When taxes increase and those increases compound annually, they can reach a point where people can no longer afford their current properties; in fact, while campaigning recently, I have met people in this category. On the opposite end of the housing cycle, people are less likely to buy a particular property or any property if taxes are too high, along with other financial variables. In fact, appealing your taxes is almost impossible. It is an exercise in futility. An online appeal process with MPAC is often self-defeating. In egregious tax situations where people feel they have been overtaxed on their property, it seems you need a tax lawyer to adjudicate and manoeuvre around it. City Council needs more fiscal accountability, transparency and co-operation with regional government over budgeting and taxation. Taxes have been too high for too long, and to appeal property tax is an arduous and often futile task. This all needs to change.
I advocate for responsible, affordable housing growth while protecting the character and integrity of established neighbourhoods. This balances the need for affordable housing with the desire to preserve the character of older neighbourhoods. Recently, the city made a list of 12 church properties for potential housing development, including some percentage for subsidized or lower-income housing. This does not address the situation of tent cities; that is an entirely different level of housing. The city went about this process with good intentions, no doubt, but it lacked due process, transparency, and the candour needed to earn the trust of residents living near the church properties, as well as the church authorities who owned them. The issue is more about the poor public relations and negotiation tactics used in this process than the idea itself. I do not support blanket rezoning of all of these lands, as each one should be handled on a case-by-case basis, with public input at every possible decision point. There are many Brown Lands in Waterloo that we can tap before we start dissecting church properties. We should look to that as a source of development first. In any development case, people have a legitimate say in the transition and growth of their neighbourhoods; Council has to be more sensitive to residential input.
Homelessness and Housing is a complex and divisive issue that must be addressed with practical, compassionate initiatives. I feel this is too complex for one level of government and is a venture that all levels of government and NGOs are currently addressing. I can think of 8 organizations currently working to alleviate the homelessness situation in our city and region. Organizations like Supportive Housing of Waterloo, A Better Tent City, Covenant House, the YMCA and others are the experts. Governments are not. I believe government should harness the field's expertise and bring these groups together so they can secure land, funding, operating costs, resources, and, more importantly, unite on joint projects. Instead of each group competing for the same pool of government money. Each NGO has a unique set of skills, and working together can develop programs and physical buildings to house them that, if done individually, likely would not be as significant. The problem is immense. It is a joint effort. NGO's need to collaborate, and governments can clear the way so those with the expertise can do their jobs best.
Also see martyrempel.ca for more details on this topic.
This is more under regional control but also affects Waterloo's daily planning.
For Waterloo Region, water may ultimately become the limiting factor to growth. The Region’s planners have already acknowledged that groundwater alone cannot satisfy all future demand indefinitely. Greater reliance on treated Grand River water, additional conservation measures, continued investment in Aquifer Storage and Recovery, and possibly entirely new regional water sources may become necessary during the coming decades. These are prudent strategies, but they also acknowledge an important reality: the existing groundwater system has practical limits.
This discussion should not be interpreted as opposition to growth. Communities must evolve, welcome new residents, and provide opportunities for future generations. Rather, it argues that growth should proceed at a pace consistent with the carrying capacity of the Region’s natural resources. Water is not simply another municipal service; it is the foundation upon which every other aspect of community life depends.
The recent improvements to Waterloo Region’s water system should therefore be viewed with cautious optimism. They have bought valuable time, strengthened the system's resilience, and postponed more difficult decisions. However, they should not be mistaken for a permanent solution. Unless long-term water sustainability remains at the centre of land-use planning, infrastructure investment, and environmental protection, today’s reprieve may simply delay tomorrow’s challenge.
The true measure of responsible planning is not whether the Region can meet today’s demand, but whether future generations will inherit an aquifer that remains healthy, productive, and capable of supporting both the people and ecosystems that depend upon it. That should remain Waterloo Region’s highest environmental and civic priority.
Marty Rempel
519 5333596
