Originally Posted August 14, 2025 in the Waterloo Record

I’m writing on behalf of the Property Taxpayers Alliance, regarding municipalities that want the right to raise even more money using local income taxation, not just property taxation. This move would add to the decline in Canadian productivity and our standards of living.

Rather than spending more, why aren’t we discussing ways to achieve lower municipal cost through greater operational efficiency and effectiveness? What roles should municipalities play, or not play? Why the ballooning list of discretionary municipal services for the very few at the expense of the many?

About 60 per cent of municipal budgets are consumed by staff wages and benefits, which are rising faster each year than those of private sector workers doing the same type of job. Why? Who’s addressing this out-of-control use of hard-earned tax dollars?

And is the 60 per cent figure even reasonable, or is it just mindlessly plugged into a spreadsheet each year at budget time?

Are Ontario municipal governments spending our property taxes wisely? Where is this assessed and how? What are the independently determined benchmarks and metrics used to measure performance? Who asks these questions and reports on the findings? It should be the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who are apparently missing in action.

John Waylett, Cambridge

Chair and CEO, Property Taxpayers Alliance