The Region of Waterloo says its exploding population will force it to make tough decisions when it comes to crafting next year's budget.
“In the last year alone, we have expanded a community the size of Stratford,” said Councilman Michael Harris, who chairs the budget committee. “We made a big promise to the community to expand the services they rely on — housing, emergency services, transportation — and that comes at a cost.
“As we help more people get shelter, the ability to work, and vital health and social services, affordability is a huge concern.”
Data from Statistics Canada shows that Waterloo's population is estimated to be 665,188 as of July 1, 2023. The region has added 38,519 people in just one year. A large part of the population growth is due to immigration.
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It remains to be seen how the federal government's move to reduce the number of international students at Conestoga College in Kitchener will affect the number of international students here.
Conestoga College, which has campuses in three major cities in the region, has approved or extended 37,000 study permits through 2023, with student numbers doubling over the past four years to 45,000. The federal government recently set new caps on foreign student enrollment in Canada, meaning the college will see its permits drop to 15,000 next year.
The district said projections for the current budget, which includes planned investments in housing and homelessness, transportation, roads and care services, would result in a 12 to 13 percent increase in property taxes, a figure that does not include the police budget.
Regional councils are expected to provide comments on the budget on Tuesday, after which staff will spend the summer working on a formal draft.
“We must invest in the essential services people rely on while also considering the affordability crisis impacting our communities. These are not easy decisions for the region,” Harris said.
The region said it will host a workshop with other municipalities in late June to discuss fiscal challenges. The region said it will invite MPs and MLAs to participate in the discussion.
Regional chair Karen Redman said: “It is vital that we work together to make smart investments that support the next generation and future generations.”
“We can’t do this without strong support from our provincial and federal partners. Property taxpayers can’t bear the full cost of this growth. We need a new policy like Ontario and other fast-growing regions across Canada have done.”
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