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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS Agenda - 2018-01-15 - 2018 Public BudgetFinance & Corporate Services Committee Special Meeting Agenda Monday, January 15, 2018 Office of the City Clerk 7:00 p.m. Kitchener City Hall nd 200 King St.W. - 2 Floor Council Chamber Kitchener ON N2G 4G7 Page 1 Chair - Councillor S. Davey Vice-Chair - Councillor D. Schnider * Members of Council are asked to bring previously circulated budget materials to use as reference for this meeting. 1. Draft 2018 Budget - Public Consultation a) Remarks - Director of Financial Planning b) -law, delegations are permitted to address the Committee for a maximum of 5 minutes. None at this time Issue Paper BD07 (2018 Public Budget Input - Updated) Jeff Bunn Manager, Council & Committee Services/Deputy City Clerk ** Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require assistance to take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1866-969-9994 ** CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER ISSUE: BD07 2018 Budget Public Input - UPDATED FUND: Operating and Capital DEPARTMENT: All PREPARER: Ryan Hagey, Director of Financial Planning BUDGET IMPACT: None BACKGROUND: The public input issue paper included in the budget package showed feedback received as of thth December 13. This updated issue paper includes feedback up to January 5. New information has been highlighted in yellow. Public input into budget matters starts well before the formal budget process. This includes City-wide consultations such as the 2013 Environics survey, the 2014 Your Kitchener, Your Say! consultation, or the 2016 Neighbourhood Strategy, as well as more focused consultations for specific topics such as the Kiwanis Park Pool (2015), or City Hall Outdoor Spaces (2016). In addition to these consultations, the City also receives feedback about the proposed budget during the budget process. RATIONALE / ANALYSIS: Budget consultation is done through traditional means like mail, phone, or in person during Public Input Night (January 15, 2018) as well as electronic means like email, responding to City of Kitchener Facebook and Twitter posts, or through the Engage Kitchener survey about the 2018 budget. th This updated issue paper includes feedback up to January 5, when the Engage Kitchener survey was closed. All of the graphs have been updated to reflect all of the votes cast during the survey period, and while the total number of votes cast has increased, the final percentages are consistent with what was shown in the original issue paper. To make reviewing easier, all new comments have been highlighted in yellow. th As of January 5, feedback about the budget has primarily been received through the Engage Kitchener survey. In total 383 people visited the survey, with a total of 171 people providing responses. The budget survey responses collected to date through Engage Kitchener have been attached to the issue paper. This includes a chart of the results for questions that ask citizens to vote for a response that best reflects their opinion as well as any comments provided by them through open-ended questions. One email response has also been received and is included after the feedback received through Engage Kitchener. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None RECOMMENDATION: For information only. IF1 - 1 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER ENGAGE KITCHENER RESPONSES Question 1: bƚƷĻƭ ğƓķ {ǒƒƒğƩǤ ƚŅ {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ Some of the topics most frequently mentioned by participants are Region of Waterloo responsibilities (e.g. LRT/transit, affordable housing/social services, garbage collection). Excluding these items, the most frequently mentioned topics were snow plowing (roads, sidewalks & trails), value for tax dollars, and traffic/road safety. {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ our street never gets plowed, unless we complain. We have a spot on the sidewalk that has sunk in and fills with water, people in scooters, wheelchairs or limited walking ability are forced to do so on the road. Monarch woods now looks like a dump, broken guard rails from when the city cut down trees and broke them. Street light and stop lights polls falling over. Ease of the, affordable housing are major concerns. way to much money has been spent on the lrt. what about social services in the city. often left to the last allotment hospitals deserve more money I think there is way more services and organizations and agenices and funding for Refugees or immigrants than there is homeless Canadians! I know because I was homeless a couple of times because of severe Crohn's disease and mental illness as a young working Canadian. I was last on the list especially being single and white and disabled. I have to be honest, it's not really obvious where the tax dollars go. However, some smaller communities seem to have more amenities for families. I do love my local community centre, though. I have never talked to anyone who was for the LRT.The study showed the best option for us was improved Busses.Carl Zehr legacy? winter road clearing could be better It would be really nice to see better plowing on the roads. Using less salt (creating slush which is worse than snow) and plowing the roadway would be helpful. IF1 - 2 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Services decline each year however tax increases never do. We continue to get less value fir our tax dollar every year It seems wealthy areas with fewer homes have better services than say the downtown core which has a greater number of homeowners paying a greater amount of property taxes. I am not sure if this is a city issue having just moved here from Toronto but the garbage collection is terrible. I also question the wisdom of putting buses onto the 401. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen. The city needs to start choosing better companies to do business with, and holding them accountable. The iOn has been a huge waste of money and they haven't managed to complete any of their proposed deadlines. Why is the city allowing them to waste taxpayer dollars month after month? It seems the ONLY people being held accountable are the taxpayers themselves. GRT investment not as good as it should be... City says feeder lines in place for the new LRT... We lost our service in The Breiphaupt Park area.. Now have to walk 4 blocks to find a bus stop... Not good for and aging Population... Reconstructing Queen street 5 times in the same spot is not good value. Total waste of money. You replaced the asphalt and sidewalk 3 times over. Why??? Transit and logistics need work, better coordination of construction projects A simple value add - large recycling bins with lids. Also: how is Kitchener working with other municipalities in the region to improve road infrastructure and reduce congestion; but more importantly efficiently speed up constellation on major arteries (i.e. 401 between Kitchener and Cambridge)? Too much emphasis on bike lanes and not enough on traffic flow. I believe that the City has much room for improvement around how you manage properties, transit and budgeting. Transit is overpriced. I live next near Schneider Haus and am frustrated that the city mismanaged and left 2 properties vacant for years only to now determine them fit for demolition. I also find it greatly lacking creativity that the city continues to allow for the downtown to be gentrified. Why can we not require each new development to have 5% set aside for low income housing? LRT is the biggest waste of money. Why are water bills being estimated. I serve on a condo board of directors all we can find out is that you are short staffed. Sorry but that does not help us when we need to set a yearly budget. We do not want estimates for 6 months plus. Do something here since you have to set a budget like we do and estimates are not helpful and can cause budget problems. I would also like to IF1 - 3 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER see the city pick up our garbage. We have fought this for years and get the response the trucks are too big to come through our small complex. But the recycle trucks have no problem coming through. The meager rebate does not come close to what we pay on our tax bills. Just very frustrated with these situations. No accountability for any government services. Grt is the worst by far. I know it's regional but they should be held to some standard of accountability. My autistic child is being discriminted against by her teacher, again no accountability. Things like our library services are extremely effective and good value. Other things like transportation, do not make effective use of money, we spend too much on unnecessarily wide roads. For example, Belmont Rd. was just rebuilt to four lanes wide, with no bike lanes, and yet, there is zero need to spend this money. How many hundreds of thousands (maybe a million) were wasted on that? The traffic does not justify the width, the width reduces safety, increases runoff pollution. Lanes are too wide on residential streets, which again reduces safety, increases costs. We have a sickly red maple with twisted roots that looks like a tree from a horror movie. The city have replaced several trees on our street due to the same twisted roots and dying. I have requested for a few years now to cut the Maple tree down...the city didn't give us a new tree like most of my neighbours. We lost our front lawn to drought a few years ago due to watering bans and the city's advice on the radio that our grass will not die...it will go to sleep during the drought. That was wrong and our lawn totally died. We replaced it with a natural garden of native plants for birds, bees and butterflies. It is beautiful and we get many compliments on it. That Maple tree fills our garden with keys so we now fight with pulling out maple trees in our garden. We are in our 60's and I have arthritis so it is very painful to deal with pulling them out. Please restart the practice of clearing the public paths during the winter months!!! I think the process/way which roads are designed and developed in this area is wrong. It genuinely feels like the roads are built incorrectly, with a plan to redo them immediately, exponentially increasing costs. I would rather see the road plans be better managed so this money could be spent in a multitude of other ways - like promoting new businesses, and support for the arts. I live near Ira Needles. The roundabouts are horribly designed for vehicle and pedestrian safety as one example. Investment in infrastructure, especially sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and water pipes should be ramped up. Many other cities include sidewalk clearing during the winter months which is a benefit to many residents that are retired or close to retirement. Many retired people still live and function in our community in homes that they have owned for years and still maintain. As the population ages so does their ability to perform some tasks such as clearing the sidewalks and raking leaves in fall. Another issue facing seniors is access to affordable retirement housing. With the current pension plans not keeping up with inflation, it would be nice to see the city IF1 - 4 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER involved in an independent housing project that would allow people to live within an affordable senior community managed by the city It would be a source of guaranteed income for the city and could make use of properties currently requiring renovation or demolition. I realize that the cost of goods is increasing but many of us don't get a wage rate increase according to inflation. This makes things tight when increasing property taxes especially on the increase on utilies. We pay for many of your workers pension plan, a luxury many of us don't have. Services are good, more awareness regarding stormwater utility fees and how the money is spent needs to be completed. Incentives for residential homeowners to manage swm at home doesn't add up (costs more than paying the fee). Road and community improvements need more communication and opportunities for engagement moving beyond traditional formats (open houses). Social media could also be better used as a tool. On many occasions I have contacted the city about an issue; and am passed from person to person. Nobody wants to be accountable or take the time to determine who the correct person is to deal with the issue. Poor water quality - one of the highest mineral contents in all of Canada Infrastructure work and cost outrageously long and high Should shovel all city-owned sidewalks in front of all homes and businesses Snow removal is not great. Also the salting of roads could be improved. There are areas of the city which are not new that do not have bus service, but many young people who would like to utilize this service (i.e. RiverRidge subdivision). fall in the coming years. A little worried the city is not taking advantage of low interest rates to further invest in the community or work on infrastructure back-log. Given where some municipalities are these days financially I think the people of Kitchener should be very pleased at how well positioned Kitchener is to essentially chart it's own destiny in the future and make the community what it wants to be rather than being subject to other limitations and whims. It should also help to make the city a more competitive place and liveable place not just locally, provincially, and nationally, but globally. Absolutely 'yes.' Our infrastructure works, our streets and parks are relatively clean and well- organized. Tax rates are low for the quality of services provided. IF1 - 5 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER I love the focus on community: libraries, pools, arenas, community centres... we have more and better than Waterloo and I hope we keep that priority. Poor bus transportation available for Doon South area. Shell game....property tax held at inflation, but utilities rate a disgrace....the " sewer" charge on my bill is almost twice the charge for water used....I live in a fairly new neighbourhood....why should I pay extra for old lines downtown??????? I get less city service in the 'burbs....such a rip off. Being a pedestrian and cyclist feels dangerous. More Bike lanes and adding sidewalks along Victoria Street would be helpful. Accessibility needs serious improvements in this city, including clearing of snow from all sidewalks so people can get around more easily and safely. Bike lanes need to be created in a network, and they need to be cleared of snow. We need to spend less on car infrastructure, or make drivers pay more for their use of public space. IF1 - 6 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Question 2: bƚƷĻƭ ğƓķ {ǒƒƒğƩǤ ƚŅ {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ The responses to question #2 in the graph above is reflective of the feedback The City has received in previous community surveys, where the vast majority of citizens prefer maintaining service levels with tax rate increases around the rate of inflation. The most frequently mentioned topics for this question were concerns around affordability, the need to maintain service levels/replace infrastructure, and getting value for taxes paid. {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ I want the City of Kitchener to start including snow shovelling in our taxes - the current enforcement by complaint system makes walking an unreliable form of transportation, particularly for those with disabilities. Even for a year or 2, inflation rate is great and all but not everyone gets raises at that rate or even near it. My house value increased $8000 by putting a new front door on my house, my water increases, my hydro increases significantly, my property tax increases, and I get a 3 cent raise an hour this year. Bring back green space maintenance! While I know it is the provincial government's responsibility to oversee long term care beds and affordable housing, I am absolutely willing to pay more for initiatives related to these two items. I live with my mother who owns a townhouse in Kitchener. Taxes continually go up yet our services remain the same. The dramatic increase in housing, and therefore property taxes, should more than make up for inflation. I'm somewhere inbetween taxes held flat and going up with inflation.You have a lot of people over 65 who increases just eat into what they do have.There is not a government or group of workers who are paid with public money where there is a ton of waste or paying too much for things.Look at the story of the stairs built by a guy who heard what the city estimate was.I know it was in Toronto but I guarantee there is stuff like that here too.While I don't have any IF1 - 7 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER examples I'm sure you with the info could find one or more.People are sick and tired of public money being seemingly endless. if we dont keep up with inflation then we will start to see less service and that is never a good plan. Our taxes should NOT go up to cover infrastructure costs that should be borne by new developments. Millions were lost this year by granting exemptions and now the taxpayers have to pay for infrastructure changes due to the new development. Why do taxes have to up to "maintain" current levels? As this city grows we need to make sure that things like libraries, parks, pools and rinks grown with them. That does not mean blowing the budget but it also means sound planning. I like that we are a vibrant, modern community that cares about all members. I would like to keep it this way. Old infrastructure should be updated as needed and not delayed. I think the city needs to factor in individual cases when assessing tax rates. There are many people in the KW region who are already living paycheque to paycheque, and a tax hike (without a pay raise) could put them over the edge. When was the last time the monthly paycheque was raised due to "inflation" ?? People will have to choose between their taxes or groceries. The wait time for "Affordable housing" is already over 2 years long. Housing prices are ridiculously high, why not start taxing the development companies more money for all the additional stress they put on our utilities?? If they can afford to build dozens of houses that sell for $500,000 < then they can afford to chip in and help out our city as a whole. While it is important to ensure tax increases are done smartly and considerately, there are many areas that could be improved if taxes increased at a rate slightly higher than inflation. Spend it Wisely and in Budget guidelines... Efficient service delivery is worth more money. But if you just a waste of money. Not a heavy service user, but with the city growing maintaining existing levels is the least that should be done It is unfortunate but as salaries have not matched the rate of inflation in terms of increases, it must fall upon the government elected by the people to maintain a balance for cost of living. We are consistently battling corporate protection, tax caps and cost of living. IF1 - 8 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER If the city manages finances there should never be a reason to increase beyond inflation. It seems to me, however, that when all of a sudden work needs to be done (i.e. pipe maintenance) taxes take a large spike. This reflects poor planning and poor budgeting. Despite proposed increase being in line with inflation, Kitchener residents are not seeing increases in wages.... unless you work for the public sector. Being retired and on a pension that never sees any increases, I feel the city should make allowances for pensioners. Taxes must go up each year no matter what. If the surplus budget is good then they do not need to be raised more than necessary. People must realize that each year everything goes up, wages, food prices, construction material etc. Never ever will not have an increase. I find this interesting, I have worked part-time for the city for almost 2 decades and haven't had a raise in almost 8 years. Why is this ok yet my taxes go up with the rate of inflation yet my pay hasn't gone up in 8 years?? ..and now someone walking in off the street is gong to make $14.00 an hour and I make $14.17......I would like a decent raise and then I would be happy to pay a little more if it means service levels getting better but this is going to be a problem since the 1150 part time employees are going to lose all motivation now. The city is growing and times are changing, we must adapt. Better active transportation infrastructure for cycling and walking--especially winter sidewalk maintenance. Movement is a human right, and yet, in the winter, simply walking around our city is often impossible to do so safely. Land use must also adjust. we are very upset that the dept for the trees gave many of our neighbours beautiful China Lace Lilac trees and not us. We pay the same taxes and deserve a new tree too. everything goes up anyways.. might as well be transparent about it I believe we're not getting adequate service compared to past & current tax costs. I think we need to see smarter decisions before you can talk about tax increases. There are too many high paid officials in our City... I think we should amalgamate to save LOADS! It would appear that the older generation is bearing the burden of previous government officials. While restructuring and rebuilding the infrastructure is critical to our environment, I feel that better planning and execution of my tax dollars, should be taken into consideration. A drive that normally takes 10 minutes should not take 30 minutes due to construction projects. If projects have to take a sideline due to lack of funding, then maybe a long term plan based on current revenues should be incorporated. Why place the increased tax burden on taxpayers? Generate additional income through city owned properties, rentals and capitalize on government grants and loans for the additional funding. Increasing our taxes increases our IF1 - 9 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER inability to meet our financial obligations under our current pension income. After 50 plus years of working towards retirement, increasing taxes means semi retirement as my reward. We are being charged increasing amounts far in excess of inflation and not always reflection of the quality of services provided. The answer I would choose is not listed. I realize cost is increasing but we can keep a status quo on increasing cost occasionally for our citizens. There is a tipping point to this comparison, and it would be helpful to indicate which measure of inflation you are referring to. Also cost of living increases may be a better measure then inflation. Just because inflation goes up does mean a taxpayer got a cost of living increase at their place of employment It is too much when taxes go up $50 a month which is what happened to me this past year. warrant that increase. The actual rate of inflation, not a made-up baseline and in-house predictions. Taxes should not automatically increase or service levels go down - efficiency and automation should be lowering some costs to make up for inflation in others. Rate of inflation increases are acceptable. It is not acceptable to increase and not improve service levels. If the consensus is that the City should improve a service it's already providing, or provide a new service that it hasn't in the past, obviously there needs to be funding for that. I benefit from City services; I am happy to contribute to their provision. I believe this opinion is by and large shared by most residents. I would be willing to pay more in taxes if the City was responsible for clearing their own sidewalks of snow. $30 a year was suggested last week. I would be willing to pay an extra $50 or even $100 a year if I didn't have to worry about clearing the City sidewalks outside of my home ! Watched 8 city workers standing over a work hole last week....zero embellishment.......that's the kind of over spending that drives us tax payers crazy.....can't the city just control their union's. All those workers get great perks and pensions....all thru us tax payers..... I'm willing to pay more for some things, but the amount we pay to the region each year, specifically the police budget is gross. 1/4 of my tax bill is going to pay for the aggressive over policing of pur communities and ever expanding police force. That is an unacceptable use of my taxes when so many social services are under funded or not funded at all. IF1 - 10 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER I'd like the city to get serious about clearing snow and ice from sidewalks and intersections. We need to encourage pedestrians and walking for many reasons. Either the city should do it, or enforcement should be vastly improved. I am happy to pay more taxes for this to happen. I'm willing to pay $26 more per year to ensure all sidewalks are cleared. IF1 - 11 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Question 3: bƚƷĻƭ ğƓķ {ǒƒƒğƩǤ ƚŅ {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ The responses to question #3 in the graph above show that nearly 83% of respondents think the proposed tax rate increase is very reasonable or somewhat reasonable. The most frequently mentioned topics for this question were concerns around affordability, the need to have small increases to maintain service levels, and inflation. {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ My issue is not so much the tax levy, it's the value increase on my house and the 1.7% added to that Again the resources should shift to helping people who already live in Kitchener who are struggling. New people should not have it better than people that have been stuck here for decades! With the city growing, I would think that the city would be collecting more than ever. And with property assessments skyrocketing, I can only assume that the city is collecting more than ever. Taxes are collected as a percentage of things, so if inflation is increasing, so are taxes. I don't get the need to increase it. It is a mathamatical certainty that one day property taxes will be $10 000 a year. A long way off but it will get there. Its an overstatement to get the point across.There should be years and years where no increase is required. as the cost of things go up, so must the taxes to keep the service levels at the level we want where I live the snow plows takes 2 or 3 days after the snow has falling ...I know the main streets etc has to be done 1st but after those are done then other secondary roads should be plowed and the city waits to do them....at least with Waterloo the secondary roads get done aswell and they don't wait When was the last time the average paycheque was raised due to "inflation" ?? I appreciate the desire to keep tax increases minimal, as long as we are not doing it at the risk of losing services, especially to those marginalized groups who most benefit from strong services being available to all. IF1 - 12 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Remember aging Rate payers are not getting yearly inflation Rate increases.. Us seniors feel at times we are getting nickel and dime to death... Chooseing between paying bills and eating is not a good thing... Going to cost this region way more in the long run... Should be more. It makes enough sense, also generally in line with other expense increases Me and my family are having a hard enough time paying for the basics then paying for new taxes. Balance the budget with no tax increases. This is only reasonable if it is consistent; without periodic large increases to either property tax or utility costs. Any increase must be adjusted by inflation. By that adjustment, the 1.7% increase is very low. Needs to be justified and options considered. Not every government elected official needs a $ 5,000.00 a year cost of living wage increase. City is not currently using tax revenues judiciously As with any large organization efficiency can always be found The assumption that taxes should rise every time is flawed. A small percentage increase on a past percentage increase begins to turn into large money after only a few iterations. Some areas of the city are far better serviced than others, even though they pay a very high property tax. My current house is not significantly larger or has more amenities than the house I had previously owned in another neighbourhood in the city, yet my property taxes are double and we receive less services. I understand that everything is getting more expensive, so this needs to be done. However, it's hard on folks with marginal incomes. Would be better if the City would clear their own sidewalk !! Still wat too much waste.....LRT way over budget IF1 - 13 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER The increase would be more palatable if the majority of it was not going to fund the regional government's 5 million dollar increase to the police budget (making it a 40 million dollar increase in the past 6 years) Our federal and provincial tax rates are high for middle class households. Increasing taxes as mentioned here is disheartening. If there are ways to manage the budget more effectively to free up money for redirection to operating costs, other options should be explored. I manage a budget in my profession and know it is possible to achieve these types of goals. IF1 - 14 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Question 4: bƚƷĻƭ ğƓķ {ǒƒƒğƩǤ ƚŅ {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ The responses to question #4 in the graph above are split fairly evenly between thinking the utility rate increase is somewhat reasonable, somewhat unreasonable, and very unreasonable. The most frequently mentioned topics for this question were concerns around affordability, the importance of this utility infrastructure, and the desire for better planning for replacements and maintenance. {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ We need to maintain and replace our infrastructure - it's short-sighted to "save" money at the cost of the reliability of our infrastructure. A bit steep The increase has been for several years for same reason, kind of hard to believe anymore. Especially with the big flawed Ira Needle Boulevard (in the early stages). As a resident am concerned for overspending in the last 6 years, hence the increase Very annoyed that this was not done sooner. That said, WATER is LIFE! There is no service more important than a safe water supply. I know that this is taken for granted by most people but I appreciate it every single time I turn on the tap. There could be focus in planning for infrastructure replacement that's a lot of money considering minimum wage is going up but other's wages are not. Families with low income will not be able to afford that kind of increase every month. Rate of inflation is a lot less I am not interested in passing on our water treatment issues to the next generation of homeowners. We need to take care of whatever issues exist with our infrastructure so that the future we give to our children involves safe and accessible water. As the city grows we do not want to poison the grand river with untreated or improperly treated waste. If that means raising the rate even more than this, I won't like paying for it, but I will understand. I don't want to live like they do in the US with crumbling infrastructure. Can't say I'm too happy about it. It is what it is however. IF1 - 15 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER We already pay more than anyone in Canada for these services. The city doesn't set aside a portion of it's earnings for maintenance? That's ridiculous. So when the infrastructure has all been upgraded we will get a 6.5% decrease? If its all paid for we should,shouldnt we? You know damn well we wont. I do not like it but also realize that money has to be spent on the replacement of pipes etc that have been neglected. why was this not planned for before why should homeowners bear the cost today for city's lack of planning Again,this is infrastructure cost that new developers (especially in the downtown core) should be covering. I understand our infrastructure is aging and needs updating and repairing. It's important that our water is safe. Maintenance is important, and if this is what it costs to maintain things properly I'm okay with it. I do feel though that these above inflation water increases will cause political pain, and any opportunity to reduce the increase (without compromising things long term) should be explored. Better communication about what has been explored would probably increase public acceptability. Kitchener is already expensive to live in, I'm sure you can find the money elsewhere then on the backs of hardworking citizens who are already struggling to pay their bills on time. We already have significantly higher rates then majority of other cities. It's time to sell the gas portion of Kitchener utilities and have union gas take over As long as the lowered rate does not push our infrastructure problems into the future. I would rather deal with these issues now and pay a bit now then deal with larger, more costly issues down the road. give me a break with the leading nature of this question. It's lower than predicted? Oh great. "Hey, I was going to kick you in the groin with an iron boot, but now I'm just going to use a leather sandal" Gee thanks. I understand that sometimes costs increase, but don't insult your audience's intelligence with these BS leading questions. Come on. Especially when on our street, we've seen the inefficiency of construction projects. IF1 - 16 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER When basic necessities start to increase over what people can afford, we are treading in dangerous territory. Globally, we are driving costs of living up while not improving living conditions, quality of life of enhancing opportunities. If anyone was struggling before, it will be worse now. And then our social services will bear the brunt. We are creating a vicious cycle I would think that prudent budgeting would have a plan in place to regularly set money aside to deal with pipe replacements all along. I set money asside with the knowledge that I will eventually need to replace my roof or boiler, why can't the city budget likewise and avoid this periodic jumps in tax? As previously mentioned, we do not see any increases in pensions. Sure CPP goes up like a few dollars every year. Wish we could have readings not estimates for months at a time. Give me a raise and I might feel different. Utilities are becoming unaffordable for many in the community This increase is probably lower than it should be. The water utility has been under funded for maintenance for years, because people have demanded lower rates. Lets not continue to under fund things resulting in continued infrastructure debt. Will this increase consider the needs of adapting the current infrastructure for climate change? Will there be programs in affect to help with low-income families such as a conservation rate that gives a discount for using less than average? Conservation is an important piece of this puzzle that I suggest should be implemented into the use of a tax increase. Concerned about delaying pipe replacement I don't use that much water and sewage rates based on consumption does not take into consideration people with pools, hot tubs or lawn watering. Costs have already increased a lot, utilies are becoming a luxury. The average household pays now close to $200 per month, do you call that affordable? I am concerned about our residents with lower income, they have to make a choice, eat or keep their house warm. Water and sanitary I understand but stormwater rates don't add up, it seems like we are starting to fund park projects through the stormwater utility. I live in an area of Kitchener that receives no water or sewer services. IF1 - 17 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER With all the tax hikes and utility increases over the past few years, it is becoming very difficult for families (especially those with small children) to make ends meet. I strongly feel that the city needs to look at cutting costs by negotiating better deals for city contracts and reducing spending. I have some concern about there needing to be a huge increase later. It's best to manage it spread over years. Poor water quality Costs of gas and electricity are through the roof, I am sure many people will not be able to afford their bills with an increase of this magnitude. The only reason the increase is so high now is because the maintenance has been ignored and not treated properly in the past. Proper management would have avoided increases of this size. 6.5 is way above inflation This is way more than inflation. How are you expecting people in the lower economic classes to pay for this, especially when people's wages don't increase this much year over year? Sure, people in higher income brackets won't notice a huge difference. An increase pegged to inflation would be appropriate. That is a huge increase. I already find it verging on unaffordable. I would like to see a 6.5% increase in my pension. Our wages don't increase by this much ! It is ridiculous to ask residents to pay an extra 6.5% on their utilities. People on fixed incomes - heck, people with "normal" incomes can't afford a 6.5% increase on utilities. As said previously, our wages don't go up by that much from year to year. Go back to the drawing board on this one !! Not impressed with water and sewage rates. By far the highest utility i pay and only three people live in my house. See previous comment on utility bill. Non- electrical. New water pipes are great! Every year we see larger increases. When will this ever stop??? I think a lot more work needs to go into making workers more accountable. We still routinely see four or five workers standing oblem. Don't rip up Strom water systems till it actually needs to be replaced. IF1 - 18 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER It's outrageous to see these increases when most of us don't have incomes going up by that much. I appreciate you kept the increase down but it is still too much. IF1 - 19 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Question 5: If the City of Kitchener could invest more in any one service, what should it be? bƚƷĻƭ ğƓķ {ǒƒƒğƩǤ ƚŅ {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ Some frequently mentioned topics by participants are Region of Waterloo responsibilities (e.g. affordable housing/social services, transit, police, water quality, and garbage collection). Excluding these items, the most frequently mentioned topics were roads & traffic, snow plowing (roads, sidewalks & trails), and active transportation (trails, bike lanes & sidewalks). {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ Snow shovelling - adding sidewalks to the city's responsibilities and keeping bike lanes clear throughout the winter. Plowing and sidewalk repair Seniors Roads quality Can't think of anything that stands out. You do good job! No more spending more Investing in synchronization of traffic lights. It's absurd how long it takes to get around it city. This project is simple, the root of which is done in second year engineering classes at UW. It is both a green investment as it reduces emissions from idling, and a productivity investment which can grant greater efficiencies and a stronger local economy Open forums, public feed back. Traffic planning parks and greening spaces - for example, the park at the corner of Lancaster and General is on a busy corner - there are no fences and no sidewalks on the side of the park to keep children safe - another option would be to plant bushes or something to hedge it in - children running and playing don't often consider the roads and parents with more than one child can't always keep an eye on all of them at the same time social services--not just OW or ODSP but community centre projects, Early Years, Funding for sports The two issues which need to be addressed primarily are long term care beds and affordable housing, and while I know these are not municipal issues, any incentives that could be offered to relieve the burden on these services should be undertaken as quickly as possible. There should not be the number of homeless and precariously housed individuals in such a rich area of the country. Additionally tax incentives or municipal programs to encourage the IF1 - 20 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER development of long term care beds should be considered. Our system cannot sustain itself the way it is. No one should wait three years for a long term care bed. Better ODSP for disabled people that worked and paid into the municipality all their life! ROAD REPAIR The streets and potholes around town are in horrible shape. Ontario Housing for low income earners. Please, for the love of god, stop spending money "calming" neighbourhood traffic. These g*d d*mn road bumps are ridiculous and do nothing. What a waste of money. I'm sorry, but the traffic department has made a mess of Kitchener with these stupid double turning lanes, or turn-left-only lights. They might be "admissible" during rush hour, but the rest of the day they hold keep cars are intersections for 2 lights when there's no traffic coming the other way (Westmount/Ottawa, for one) Make the traffic lights more efficient. I had these "no right on red" signs. The lights at Westmount and OTtawa is a joke. That left hand turning lane - the traffic is never busy but you can't turn left without the advance. Turning left onto Fisher Hallman from OTtawa - the light coming off of the expressway is too long and there's always a traffic jam there in the morning. I can't drive down Fisher Hallman without hitting every single light. Can't we synchronize these? No more advanced lights. They only slow down traffic. I prefer the roundabouts (although they terrify my daycare/babysitter). Personally, I would like to see Kitchener neighbourhoods like Beechwood, with community pools and walking trails. The new subdivisions are hideously overcrowded. We are desperate for walking trails in the community (that are paved for strollers, wheelchairs, etc...). Also, my kids love splash pads in the summer and outdoor pools. Looking at moving to Beechwood because no communities in Kitchener offer what they do. Repairing roads properly that are in disrepair and full of pot holes instead of constantly patching. Show renoval, better maintain trails, neighborhoods with better parks and outside pools. Roadwork. Making sure you protect water for example in the first place.Whatever service this would fall under.Cortland Ave. had signs saying Water protection area.Yes they had trains down below but then you run an LRT line above it.I know its electric but the more activity you bring to an IF1 - 21 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER area the more crap gets in water period.Protect these areas and little forests in the city.They provide more than most give credit for. I cannot think of one specific area. I do know that it should not be for a specific group but for everyone as a whole. parking enforcement, many residential streets are littered with cars and overnight parking particularly in town house area's who should have its own parking for residents & guests. may litter the street with garbage which residents must clean up. ! Snow plowing & side walks some older folks cant shovel some dont even shovel and is a safety issue, with property taxes high & increasing city needs to take responsibility for this ! Police and 1st responders Better road planning. I think planners should drive the roads that they plan on changing, so they actually understand what is happening. Building a 2 lane road, then expanding it to 4 lanes 2 years later is BAD planning, and BAD budgeting. The double disruption is unacceptable when it could be done right the first time. Community Centres Moving traffic better Improving the downtown core improve the roads and put bike lanes when they redo the roads Public transit. Again, I know this is a regional issue but that would be No. 1. No.2 would be in infrastructure such as parks. I would love to see more communal areas, along with trees, parks and trails. Beautifying our downtown with more art and gardens would also be nice to see. Youth and senior services. Pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, particularly separated bike lanes and trails. I'd love to see more trails like the spur line trail, which work well for commuting and connect important urban locations. More money needs to go into preserving historical buildings in our city, and neglectful property owners should be fined accordingly. Creating a more accessible city (reducing/eliminating current barriers such as increased transit fares, issues around sidewalk clearing (not necessarily taking it over but supporting residents in IF1 - 22 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER some way to make sidewalks usable by all in the winter, reducing wait times for affordable housing, etc.) Infrastructure, beautification of areas such as highland plaza, downtown core, alpine plaza. as Kiwanis. Snow removal and road safety Active responses to downtown gentrification - ensuring homeless/immigration/disability services can maintain a central location and that they are accessible by those who need them. An aging population is upon the region, we know it and the Region knows it... Don't put it on the back burner... Timing traffic lights and more green arrows for right turns on red lights. Roads! And winter maintenance!!! Transit infrastructure, bicycle infrastructure More garbage cans in parks Road maitenance Definitely transit, but not exclusively LRT. Availability of service / connections from outlying areas to major hubs needs work as several routes are so convoluted that they take too long to be a viable alternative to cars. Child care or family services. You can't work if you can't find a place to take care of your young children. saving money for unseen problems ahead. Emergency housing, repairs,fire, medical emergence, economy not doing so well, housing bubble collapses. Affordable housing, more senior supports at home Improved traffic flow. Remove unwanted bike lanes, on street parking, and traffic calming (which for the most part is unnecessary). Stop turning 4 lane streets into 2 lane. Neighborhoods need to be consulted, not just those that live on a street. The majority need to state that they definitely want a specific change. Currently staff assume that a no response or a neutral response means that residents are in favour. That is not necessarily true. Affordable housing. IF1 - 23 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER A close second would be reduced bus fares. If we are serious about reducing car usage we should heavily subsidize our transit. As it stands, collecting fares for young children is financially crippling to struggling parents. A single parent often has no option but to take their children with them as they go to appointments and run errands, charging them full fare and also charging them for their children is cruel. Why can we not allow children 12 and under to ride free? Public transportation. roads Libraries. Homeless services Sidewalk snow clearing. Reducing traffic congestion on City streets. So much development without improving infastructure.....and the LRT billion doesn't count. Social welfare services for the working poor and those who don't qualify for OW but still struggle to afford basic necessities Water readings monthly and city garbage pick up for condo's that can accomodate the trucks without excuses this cannot be done. I know that the rebate given is less than the cost of garbage pick-up and this would cost the city. Why do condos have to supplement the city garbage pick up at our expense. Sidewalk ,maintenance I think the city is doing a great job in all services. I am proud of my city. Green energy alternatives Housing Active transportation infrastructure, better sidewalks, more protected bike lanes, protected intersections, and trails, and like I said before, sidewalk winter maintenance. Homeowners do not reliably clear sidewalks, and this will never change, the city must do it to ensure we continue to be able to walk around our community in the winter. These are chronically underfunded in our community. Comunity programing IF1 - 24 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER water availability, you tell us we need to conserve water but you keep approving more and more housing projects... we feel like with all the new housing we will run out of water. Roads Mental health do more for less fortunate Debt reduction Clearing public paths in the winter!! I am thinking of the Ontario hydro right of way in McClennan Park Green infrastructure. The natural environment when supported adequately can build resilience against climate change that built infrastructure is incapable of developing. There needs to be more priority placed on naturalization. I would invest LESS in poor management of roads construction and devote this to arts and job creation areas. Active Transportation Infrastructure Moore police engagement with the community in neighbourhoods with high immigrant population. recreation Hospital. Get more nurses, doctors, paramedics to speed up time in the emergency, Water filtration Seniors rebates. discounts for long term residents on utilities. Better commuting services to Toronto Sustainability for all services Roads and traffic flow I live on Dodge Drive in Kitchener, we are essentially a rural neighborhood with no sidewalks, street lights, city water, city sewer, and poor internet options. Why is it that we pay the same tax rate for areas in the City that are able to take advantage of all of these services? IF1 - 25 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER I don't feel that the city needs to invest more in any service. I feel all services are adequate and we need to look at new ways to deliver these services more efficiently so that costs may be reduced. Anything with infrastructure that is upstream thinking. We don't want to pay for any big surprises down the road. Water quality -reduce mineral content at source Cost of ruined appliances born by consumer Police Active transportation infrastructure (trails, MUPs, cycling lanes, sidewalks) Roads Universal transit Health Care staffing to reduce wait times in hospitals Parks and Recreation beautifying our city by getting rid of ugly hydro poles. I can appreciate the cost of moving them underground but they are awful. I'd pay more in taxes to see this cleaned up. Off-road cycling trails There is a huge focus on transit. The city needs to make transit available to more neighbourhoods. The RiverRidge subdivision in north east Kitchener has no bus service. It is a 20-30 minute walk to a bus stop if you're in the parts of the subdivision closer to the river. There are a ton of kids and teens here. It would be great to have the bus service so the teens are able to get to jobs and home from after school activities easier. The high amount that the families with smaller houses and properties pay for taxes is ridiculous given that we're always left out of any transit initiative. The LRT costs almost a billion dollars and we can't have one bus coming down at least Woolwich? Ameliorate effects of poverty. Ambulances A community swimming pool in the doon South area. Our children should have closer access to learn how to swim Snow clearing for ALL sidewalks and trails. IF1 - 26 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER All season bike infrastructure Fighting gentrification of downtown. More affordable housing services for low income and mental health as well as an increase in outreah work beyond police services. sports fields more bike lanes - specifically protected bicycle lanes. Sidewalk clearing. Upstream cost-saving activities like crime prevention and climate action Sidewalk snow clearing. The current system does not work- some residents are unwilling or unable to clear their sidewalks, and one property's sidewalk becoming impassable due to snow can render useless the good work of all of that property's neighbours. We should be trying to make the City inclusive of everyone, including children, the aged, and people who have mobility issues- for long periods of winter, our sidewalks are unfortunately difficult to traverse for these people, negatively impacting their lives and their level of productivity. The City should clear all sidewalks to an acceptable standard, and fund it with whatever property tax increase is needed (the estimates of the impact on the typical household a few years ago were not onerous). Parks and Recreation including swimming and arenas. City bus routes Services for disadvantaged families. Affordable housing Invest in the downtown. You are already overspending. Why ask where you should spend more? Give me a break and be more responsible. More affordable housing for those who need it. More affordable activities for kids from all income levels. Better kept landscaping in the city. Some areas are well kept while others are not. Better kept play structures for the kids. The park behind our home Millwood Park, the structure is small and unsafe for children. Road repair - driving down a lot of City streets is downright ridiculous !! Weber Street East for example from Frederick to Ottawa - in both directions - is ridiculous for potholes. Just one example of how bad roads can be in the City. These pot holes cause real damage to vehicles. Food security through community gardens IF1 - 27 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Parks road upkeep and repair. The construction in this city is terribly slow and downtown businesses suffer greatly as a result. Fire service Better infrastructure for cycling Bus service in south end of Kitchener. Finding ways to produce services to your tax payers without duplication and over staffing...esp. In road repair and general maintenance. Improving transit routes. It shouldn't take an hour to get somewhere within the city, especially paying $3.25 for the service. Snow clearing of all sidewalks as a sign of real commitment to accessibility for all residents and visitors. Mobility Plus. Putting more busses on the road for our elderly and disabled. less on LRT, more on Waste Management and Snow Removal. I've been late to work several times now waiting for a plow to hit my road. I live between Southridge and Forest Heights. Transit Lowering taxes Please don't invest more in any services! Bylaw enforcement (specifically noise), better lighting for Iron Horse trail Snow clearing on sidewalks and especially at bus stops. Affordable housing. Hire an additional full-time active transportation planner. We need the personnel to ensure that we can build a coherent cycling network. Without people to guide plans and projects, we risk leaving higher-government funding on the table. IF1 - 28 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Question 6: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us about the proposed budget? bƚƷĻƭ ğƓķ {ǒƒƒğƩǤ ƚŅ {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ One of the more frequently mentioned topics by participants (LRT) is a Region of Waterloo responsibility. Excluding this, the most frequently mentioned topics were affordability, efficiency, and better communication & transparency about how funds are spent. {ǒƩǝĻǤ tğƩƷźĭźƦğƓƷ /ƚƒƒĻƓƷƭʹ Can't squeeze juice from a dry orange. Throw whatever money is required at getting your half baked public transit project completed and over with. Far too disruptive and poorly executed Make sure you communicate to people what they get for the taxes they pay. Most people forget and need to be reminded. If people realize the SERVICE they get, it is much easier to get buy in for keeping the service levels. Also, not sure how the city handles it, but please NEVER apologise for paying city workers a LIVING WAGE. I would be appalled if I thought tax dollars were spent on labour that is too low to live in this city. Lets work together for a wonderful caring community. remember, there are a lot of people in this city that don't make a living wage. Taxing more on these people will mean that more social services are accessed, which means more funding is needed/ It's a circle that must be stopped Please take us into account when using up the budget! We should bring down the cost of Hydro, give more income to ODSP recipients and add more Ontario housing for low income earners. Make your numbers more transparent. How can anyone make a decision with the information given to us is cherry-picked? I'd would LOVE to see where the tax dollars are collected from, and where they are allocated to. That would make this a lot easier. How about not paying $1B for a service that only caters to less than 10% of the city's population? The overhead wires are an eyesore, and a severe driving distraction. It is hard to tell which light applies to which intersection on King Street, and is a disaster waiting to happen. I would like to see a 5 year moratorium on all road works project sonthat business could get back to normal in this city Let the LRT pay for itself. IF1 - 29 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Taxes need to be looked at on a case by case basis. Some people are already struggling to pay their bills and a tax raise (while definitely required) might break the bank for some. I'm sure the people buying those expensive condos and high end subdivision houses can pay a bit more than those of us who bought houses at $150,000 20+ years ago and haven't been able to keep up with the dramatic value increase. We can't even sell our house because we wouldn't be able to afford anything better in the city. I would love to see more discussion about things such as inclusionary zoning and participatory budgets for Kitchener. Please no more major billion dollar projects for awhile.. Property taxes are killing us... Thanks for The soapbox... be financially if you did worried about generating money through projects, rather than legacies like the idiotic LRT project. Happy with what has been proposed Efficiency of process needs to be a priority where possible, you hear so much about how drawn out things can get that it takes forever to get anything done. The two main things that people think about with city government are transit and infrastructure and if you can get those right that's a major win. Keep it balanced with no tax increases. We should invest more in affordable housing and assisting those in our community who are low income, until we do we will be far from just or kind. Spend less money surrounding city Hall and extend improvements to other parts of downtown. Town hall already looks nice out front. Spend the Reno money on reducing our utilities instead I, like many others, haven't had a raise in years so anything you increase the costs on reduces what funds I have available for my family. So increasing costs as you work to "improve" services many of us struggle to afford now isn't improving anything. It's only making it more out of reach. I hope you realize that. Many politicians are too focused on not raising taxes. They need to communicate that when it comes to good services, we get what we pay for. It is very difficult for us pensioners to make ends meet. Please keep us in mind as we have been paying into the system for 40 to 50 years already. IF1 - 30 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER I think council members shouldn't be giving themselves raises until part-time employees get somethig half decent. Things like parking, which create a negative effects on our community should be funded more by users. If it cannot pay for itself, than that tells you all you need to know. Curb space should be similarly conserved and priced. Cut down on wasteful contracts and employees standing around not doing anything. debt grows regardless, so truthfully, is there a moral responsibilty to pay it back? chalk it up as a failed experiment. Just because our home values have risen doesn't make it fair to overtax us. Implement bylaws to mitigate unaffordable housing. Limit foreign ownership and Airbnb rentals. Keep increases tied to inflation and find ways to cut back on expenses. If you are going to charge residents for services/infrastructure/maintenance you should either provide it; or adjust their taxes. Stop spending money! No Councils need to begin thinking as though an increase every budget is not the natural and only way to address costs. I think we should focus on our healthcare. Hospital wait times ambulances available for service and with their call volume I've lived in Kitchener since 1985. I spent 2 years in London and their downtown scene is far superior to ours. The festivals they throw, the shopping and the night life. Make KW a destination city beyond just Oktoberfest To lower on-going maintenance costs and capital costs of roads, and to make roads safer and cheaper, consider: -removing redundant infrastructure/excess lane capacity (e.g. Homer-Watson Blvd, Belmont -reducing street widths and lane widths -eliminate on- -reduce or eliminate on-street parking on residential side streets (basically any street that is wider than two travel lanes and especially those with parking on both sides and two car widths (four lanes total e.g. Forest Hill Dr.)) - end public subsidizing of vehicle storage IF1 - 31 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER -and build bike lanes as part of the boulevard and not the roadway as Ottawa is now doing (don't need to build bike lanes to same quality standards = cheaper, separated from vehicle traffic = safer). For example, Homer-Watson Blvd, from Hoffman to Stirling, was originally intended to carry a much higher volume of traffic and truck traffic by connecting through to Belmont Ave. That will no longer happen yet we are paying to maintain excessively wide lanes and extra lane capacity and will pay again to rebuild it when the time comes. Why not reduce the lane widths and number of lanes to reduce the financial and environmental impact? There are tonnes of examples like this across the city (Belmont Ave, Avalon Pl, etc.) that would add up to considerable savings quickly. I estimated, using open data and MBN Canada cost estimates, that for every 10cm reduction in lane width would save the region, cities, and townships an estimated $5,743,249 every year in maintenance and capital costs (30cm reduction = $17,216,716 reduction in additional ongoing expense). Plus, narrower lanes are safer for all types of road users. Cycling infrastructure to keep improving. Glad to see its being worked on. Keep it up! Taxes maintain the "level of comfort" in our city. Since the taxes are based on the value of your house, they are automatically prorated to income. I would be willing to pay reasonable increases to increase the service levels for residents. Invest more into upstream solutions that will save more money down the road like crime prevention, restorative justice, climate action, I think eliminating subsidies for the elderly, as other cities have proposed, would be a good way of saving money. The majority of seniors in Canada are wealthier than the average citizen and don't require financial assistance. Eliminating age based subsidies and implementing ones based on income or asset ownership would be wiser Keep budget increases within inflation numbers. Our increase in population should bring in more taxes to cover additional expenses. Sharpen your pencils - or at least offer more services - for example - the City should clear its own sidewalks !! I live on Patricia Avenue (on the edge of sketchy-ville) and i've seen no positive changes for the poorer people living nearby. Cars and houses broken into, endless construction on Belmont that only recently completed. Everything works in slow motion in this city and costs a premium. I pay a relative fortune in taxes and see very little in return...except regular tax increases. We must ensure that as we grow as a municipality that at a minimum we grow our essential services to maintain the same level of service for the community IF1 - 32 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Complete fabercation about how low our property taxes are in reaction to others in the province. My brother in GTA pays half of what I do...and my sister in Trenton area also pays much lower rate...both property and local utilities.... Fight the region over the ridiculous increase and grotesque total that the regional police extort from the city budget. The LRT looks atrocious with the wires and the metal forest you've littered the roads with. I wish less of my tax dollars went to it, and I didn't have to buy tags for my garbage now. Maybe the road/sewage maintenance costs would go down if there weren't always 1 guy working and 4 guys around them standing there drinking Tim Hortons. I watched the first budget reviews by the council- I was impressed by the interaction by some Council members! Some of the others reacted as though they were sleeping.. not impressed with some of you! 1.7 increase is ok, but not with the region increase, and water, and soon natural gas... Don't buy new trucks, hold onto them longer for public Works and others, Please continue to push improvements to cycling infrastructure! Separated bike lanes and other measures are important to allowing for a balanced mix of transportation methods in the city! I am proud to live in Kitchener, which has an excellent ethic of providing public services and facilities for people. These level the playing field for people and families on lower incomes. Thank you. IF1 - 33 CITY OF KITCHENER 2018 BUDGET ISSUE PAPER Email received through budget@kitchener.ca I believe that the single best thing Kitchener could do is re-prioritize transportation funds toward the human-level. This morning I biked by a senior walking on an ICE covered MUT. We were both literally concentrating all of our faculties on not falling and breaking our bodies on the precarious ice. At the same time, cars were driving by on a dry, clean, 4-lane road at 90kph (60kph zone, unenforced). Far too much money goes to widening, clearing, and building roads in this city, and far too little gets spent on making sure sidewalks, trails, and crossings are safe. I'm not asking for a "war on cars" -but a re-prioritization of funds to the default mode of transport that is available to everyone -walking. The first step should be making sure sidewalks get *at least* as much priority funding in snow-clearing as roadways. Asking residents to shovel their sidewalks is simply not working -all it takes is one or two residents per block failing to clear in order to make navigation by foot (or wheelchair/stroller/etc) extremely difficult. I understand that in many areas of transportation, the city is constrained by the goals and financial decisions of the region and various provincial agencies -but ensuring sidewalks and crossings are safe, year-round, for people 8-80 is something Kitchener can do to not only protect it's residents -but stand out as a leader among cities. IF1 - 34