Budget and Financial Statements

• Continuing investment in our world-class transit service to reflect current ridership levels
  • ensuring frontline and essential workers are best served
  • ensuring we are well placed for economic recovery
• Enhanced paramedic and ambulance services
• Tailored funding to manage the pandemic through the addition of over 100 new public health staff, as well as a $3 million investment for safe isolation centres
• Further investments in sustainable transportation
• Investing further in vulnerable citizens through shelters, long term care
• For a minimal tax increase, we will continue to deliver world class essential services, deal with impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and invest strategically

• These strategic investment areas were identified through community feedback in the summer of 2020, as well as an acknowledgement that the weight of the pandemic has fallen harder on some, more than others
• Strategic investments provide support to:
  • Local businesses and the local workforce
    • $3 million over two years
  • Our most vulnerable through additional investments to fund a transformational affordable housing plan
    • $20 million over two years
  • Addressing inequities in our community
    • $15 million over two years
  • An aggressive plan to modernize and streamline Regional service provision to stimulate savings for residents
    • $3 million over two years

• We recognize that an “average household” does not exist in any community and for a variety of reasons, tax increases to residents will vary throughout Waterloo Region
• A more accurate approach is to speak about the “average increase”, which is $3 per $100,000 of residential assessment

• The plan for beyond COVID-19 and the accompanying 2021 budget has been significantly shaped by community feedback as it is rooted in the Region’s Strategic Plan.
• Feedback from over 12,400 residents helped bring this plan to life.
• In response to the current global pandemic, the Region of Waterloo further engaged the community to help determine current and future priorities in the context of COVID-19.
• Three methods were initially implemented to scan our community for feedback and help understand our residents’ priorities:
  • Waterloo Matters Survey, which was conducted by the University of Waterloo in June 2020 with a sample size of 250 to 300 residents 
  • An Interactive Voice Response public telephone poll in July 2020, which was conducted by Conestoga College with a sample size of 800 residents
  • Four separate Wellbeing Waterloo Region focus groups and accompanying survey in August 2020
• The most important social concerns that need to be addressed for Waterloo Region were identified as:
  • Affordable housing and homelessness
  • Unemployment
  • Mental health
• This tailored feedback allowed Regional Council and staff identify areas for strategic investment

• The Region of Waterloo has been diligent financially, and has been nimble as an organization.
• We have reacted in real time to a very challenging situation, however, we are still in unprecedented times.
• We continue to prioritize Council’s vision for our community, but we also recognize the need to lead the community through the pandemic.
• As the Region has led the community through the pandemic, it has also worked on a plan for beyond COVID-19.
• That plan has become a reality with the approval of the 2021 budget.
• Our plan and accompanying budget aims to ensure that we are in a strong position as we move closer to emerging from the pandemic.
• Our plan also ensures we continue to provide critical, world-class services to our 630,000 residents.

• The Region of Waterloo provides a number of critical services to all of our 630,000 residents.
• These include:
  • Public health and ambulance services
  • Housing, seniors’ services, child care system management, and income support
  • Safe drinking water, public transit, waste management and regional roads
  • Cultural sites, libraries and the Waterloo Region International Airport

Agenda

2021 Preliminary Budget - User Rates  

GRCA Presentation - 2021 Draft Budget 

Staff Presentation - 2021 Plan Overview 

Webcast

Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

2021 Preliminary Tax Supported Program Budget & 2021-2030 Capital Budget Summaries 

Staff Presentation - 2021 Tax Supported Budget

Webcast 

Agenda

Minutes

Webcast 

Agenda 

Minutes 

Waterloo Regional Police - 2021 Proposed Budget

Waterloo Regional Tax Supported - 2021 Proposed Budget 

Webcast 

Agenda 

Minutes 

Staff Presentation - 2021 Tax Supported Budget

Webcast