Region passes budget with 6.9% hike in property taxes

Spending plan for 2024 ‘prioritizing the well-being of our residents,’ says Bradley

After months of wrangling, the cold, hard numbers from Niagara Region’s 2024 budget include a 6.9 per cent increase for property taxpayers on a levy of $482.6 million needed to fund the Region and its services.

On a home assessed at $298,000, the regional portion of property tax bills will amount to $1,989, an increase of $131 over this year.

It’s a far cry from the nine per cent increase regional councillors started working with in August — and lower than the the 7.58 per cent increase for 2023.

Council passed the enabling bylaws for the budget and a special levy for Niagara Region Transit on Thursday night.

St. Catharines’ Brian Heit told fellow councillors the 2025 budget process starts now.

“Every decision we make will impact the 2025 budget,” Heit said. “The sad note is that we have seen the forecast from our staff of over six per cent for next year. That’s where we’re starting. We have our work cut out for us.”

Region Chair Jim Bradley said the budget reflects council’s desire to maintain good public programs and services while managing external pressures such as inflation and changing provincial policy, which complicated deliberations.

“I believe that the budget we passed (Thursday) night navigated these difficulties collaboratively, prioritizing the well-being of our residents and ensuring a resilient future for the Niagara Region,” Bradley said in a news release.

The province’s Bill23 amended the Planning Act in a bid to increase the housing supply. The bill requires the Region to provide exemptions on development charges, which developers pay to build infrastructure needed to support their projects, adding another $17.1 million to the tax bill, which works out to an additional $41.60 on a home assessed at $298,000.

Other parts of the $444.44 million operating budget include:

■ $8.6 million to replace provincially regulated development charge

revenue losses needed for housing-enabling infrastructure (Bill 23).

■ $6.7-million increase to support infrastructure for regional departments and Niagara’s agencies, boards and commissions.

■ $4.1 million in homelessness system stabilization (shelter outreach and support).

■ $2.2 million for housing provider operating subsidies.

The budget includes $188.5 million for Niagara Regional Police, an increase of six per cent over 2023, a line that accounts for more than 40 per cent of the entire Region budget.

“If we want to add more services and enhance the NRP and transit, we’re going to be adding to that number in 2025,” Heit said.

“We just can’t say yes to whatever staff wants because our taxpayers can’t afford it. I’m ready to support tonight’s budget, and I look forward to finding ways to cut some of the fat out of next year’s budget when we deal with some of the grants.”

Lincoln Coun. Rob Foster said this is his 24th budget since entering local politics — and it’s always difficult.

“If anybody has ever said that they went through an easy budget, they’re lying,” Foster said. “We have tough decisions on what we’re putting in place here at Niagara Region, right across the board.”

The Region’s 2024 capital budget of $270.3 million was approved on Oct. 12, with 70 per cent for renewing existing infrastructure across Niagara’s 12 lower-tier municipalities.

Major capital projects funded by the Region in 2024 will include:

■ $17.2 million annual capital investments in sustaining affordable housing units.

■ $15.8 million to replace 40 conventional Niagara Region Transit buses.

■ $13.9 million for the first phase of a four-storey housing project at 320 Geneva St. in St. Catharines that will provide more than 80 units of supportive and affordable housing.

■ $12 million in annual road resurfacing.

■ $4 million for Stanley Avenue Bridge structural rehabilitation.

Niagara-on-the-lake Coun. Andrea Kaiser was elected to regional council in 2022 after spending three terms on town council. She lodged a protest vote against approving the budget bylaws.

Kaiser’s main concern was council’s decision to change a plan for making annual capital investments needed to close Niagara’s infrastructure gap on future public projects. Many of Niagara assets are rated as being in “poor” or “very poor” condition.

“We had the conversation last year about kicking the can down the road — and here we go again,” Kaiser said.

“Our strategic planning session was all about sustainability, and that means investing in building for the future now and not leaving someone else holding the pot later on,” Kaiser said.

“I am concerned about continuing to create unsustainable budgets.”