Waterloo Region – Regional Council approved the 2019 budget today.

This budget will help provide the enhanced citizen services and infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of our community. Council decided to enhance public transit, paramedic services, seniors’ care and policing in this year’s budget.

“We are listening and responding to community needs” said Karen Redman, Regional Chair. We continually monitor and meet demands for services to ensure a high quality of life for the people of Waterloo Region.”

Additional funds have been allocated in this budget to invest in some critical service areas. These include adding Personal Support Workers to provide more one-on-one and 24 hour care at Sunnyside Home. The budget continues to invest in new infrastructure to support growth, as well as the repair and replacement of existing, aging infrastructure. Additional police officers have also been approved for the first time in over five years.

"Major investments in 2019 include enhanced paramedic services and increased transit services as outlined in our long term business plans. This includes the addition of two 12 hour ambulances and 10 paramedics. Additionally, transit service changes to expand service in Cambridge and align bus routes with ION, the expansion of the universal bus pass program to include Conestoga College, and advanced traffic signal technology are big ticket items that are necessary to serve our community,” said Sean Strickland, Regional Councillor and Chair of the Region’s Budget Committee.

Staff have identified over $12.5 million in sustainable savings over the last five years, and continue to focus on providing excellent value to the community. Regional council has found $2.5 million in additional savings.

The Region’s current operating and capital budget is $1.5 billion, representing a tax rate increase of 2.97 per cent over 2018: 1.97 per cent for Regional services and 1 per cent for police services. This will impact the average household by $59.

Of total municipal property taxes collected in the Region, approximately 63 per cent goes toward funding Regional services.

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For more information, please contact:

Bryan Stortz, Communications Director, 519-575-4408 or bstortz@regionofwaterloo.ca