Tax increase will occur if no additional changes are made to the Region’s 2025 budget. Photo Credit: The Niagara Independent.
A months-long budget construction process is coming to a close as the Niagara Region prepares to finalize its fiscal plans for the new year. If no further alterations are made, taxpayers will face a 9.77 per cent increase to the regional portion of their property tax bill in 2025.
The 9.77 per cent number gained support from Council following the implementation of some of the staff-recommended amendments to decrease what could have been an even larger tax hike, exceeding 10 per cent. It is possible that the exact amount could be decreased slightly further, depending on how council’s request that staff reconsider $4.6 million in program changes is applied. The 2025 general levy is currently projected to be nearly $538 million.
Among the more notable belt-tightening alterations was a 1.55 per cent ($7.5 million) reduction, due to changes with respect to Ontario Bill 23, the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, and Bill 185, the Building More Homes Faster Act. This reduction was observed because the Ontario Government’s new Bill 185 reversed Bill 23 requirements regarding development charge exemptions.
Several new staffing positions were approved, however, including a debt analyst, who will assist in modernizing the finance department, as well as two transportation engineering project managers, and an IT security compliance and risk specialist.
An additional item was accounted for when St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe proposed dedicating $128,000 for a peer-to-peer outreach initiative to fund a new Welcome Streets pilot project in St. Catharines. Siscoe’s recommendation was approved by council.
Siscoe said that he hopes the Welcome Streets undertaking will help to address the drug addictions, homelessness and mental health crises, citing the success of similar peer-to-peer outreach initiatives in Belleville, Brampton, Ottawa and Sudbury. He thinks that a modest strategic investment in this area could relieve some of the need for policing services, and ultimately allow for lower taxes.
One of the most contentious components of Budget 2025 was the Niagara Regional Police Service’s insistence on the need for a 13.18 per cent increase to the NRP budget. Council urged the Police Services Board to find a way to shave off another $1.076 million from the draft $213-million NRP budget on Nov. 21. The board ultimately denied this request.
Multiple councillors, including Regional Chair Jim Bradley, expressed disappointment that the board did not find a way to decrease the burden on taxpayers. Bradley shared that while he accepted the hiring of 33 front-line officers, he was unconvinced of the necessity of staffing jobs related to graphic design, social media, and recruitment, during such a difficult fiscal period.
Fort Erie Councillor Tom Insinna, who himself is a retired RCMP officer, introduced a motion for Council to present the Police Services Board with a revised budget including a nearly $4-million cut. Insinna used an automobile analogy, arguing that considering the current economic context, a Chevrolet would be more appropriate than a Ferrari.
Port Colborne Mayor and Regional Councillor Bill Steele, however, took exception to Insinna’s choice of imagery and persuaded that the budget was necessary to combat rising crime levels.
The Insinna motion was voted down by Council, which effectively approved the police budget. If the motion had passed, however, Steele suggested that the board and the Region could file for a budget dispute resolution.
The Region is slated to meet on Dec. 12, where they are expected to ratify Budget 2025 and pass enabling bylaws. The full council meeting will commence half an hour earlier than previously scheduled, to provide adequate time for reviewing the program changes outlined in the staff report.
Nick Redekop completed his Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Labour Studies at Brock University. He has previously served in municipal and federal politics. In his free time, Nick enjoys following sports, taking part in outdoor activities, and reading biographies. Nick resides in Niagara Falls
