Councillor Bob Gale's idea is a target for staff to aim for
Putting a budget together will bring greater challenges for Niagara regional staff, after council approved a guidance tax rate increase of 3.5%.
Councillor Bob Gale put the idea forward, indicating taxpayers cannot handle recent increases such as 9% for water, to 13% for police.
Councillor Sal Sorrento added he's heard a lot while campaigning for office. "One of the residents swore at me, and disparaged regional councillors with certain words saying 'What are you guys doing to us? You voted in favour of these taxes, get off the property' I'm not going to say the words said, they were not kind words, and they blamed all of us."
Councillors against this idea say it's up to staff to present budget ideas first, then council makes changes.
Councillor Laura Ip said the budget is council's and it's bad policy to pick a number. "Staff should do the work to provide us with the information we need to understand to deliver the services we're mandated to provide... and then it's up to us as a council to make decisions about where we want to reduce or eliminate services to achieve the rate with which we are comfortable."
Councillor Peter Secord added what's happening now is not sustainable, as people are being thrown out of their homes.
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