Cambridge byelection: Candidates discuss whether the city is spending taxpayer money wisely

Cambridge council raised property taxes 1.34 per cent for 2020, and the candidates for the ward 7 byelection were asked what they thought of the budget process.

The average homeowner is expected to pay $51 more this year in taxes. On top of that, there's a 3.4 per cent increase to the water utility rates, which is about $39 a year.

Mayor Kathryn McGarry said last month the budget shows the city wants to invest in future growth while still keeping taxpayers in mind.

Below is what eight of the nine candidates thought of the budget. Cody Botelho did not respond to requests for interviews.

Cole Boland

"I think the taxes were raised too much," ColeBoland said, noting some councillors had wanted to send the budget back to staff for another look.

"I think that would have been appropriate to have a second look at it and see if any other cuts could have been made," he said. "If city staff deems that there weren't ... any other cuts that we could do, then I would have been OK with where it stands."

Connie Cody

"There could have been more efficiencies," Connie Cody said, noting she believes the city is funding a lot of things that are not the responsibility of the municipality.

"I think that there needs to be more respect to the taxpayers. The more that we keep on increasing taxes, the more unsustainable it is to maintain our city."

She says she's also concerned about people who live on fixed incomes and how raising taxes impacts people who rent their homes.

"If we keep on raising taxes, then landlords are having to pay more taxes and that means increases to rent," she said. "If our taxes are going higher than what landlords can increase the rent, it discourages them from offering any more rental units."

Manuel da Silva

Budgets are stressful, Manuel da Silva says, and "you try and do the most you can with the funds that are allotted."

"One of the things that is important is to really hear from the community of what their needs are and try to do as best you can to ensure that you can utilize the funds to best look out to the community," he said.

He says many Ontario communities are seeing taxes go up and the cost of living is becoming expensive for many.

"What I believe is that when we look at our tax rates and our standard of living in Cambridge, we need to recognize that it costs money to upkeep a community," he said.

Scott Hamilton

"Your primary job is to be a good shepherd of the public purse. You have to ensure that every single resident's tax dollars are spent wisely," Scott Hamilton said.

He thinks in the short-term, that's immediate infrastructure projects. Cambridge is under pressure to grow, particularly as people from the Toronto area move to the region.

"I think that, wherever the budget goes, that it has to ensure that it understands these provincial, national and international trends, and the way that budgets are spent that can maximize the return on investment for every single Cambridge resident."

R.J. Johnston

"It was just kind of signed without too much last minute wheeling and dealing. I always like to see a little wheeling and dealing," R.J. Johnston said. "I suggest there were cuts that could have been made."

He gave an example of the rainbow crosswalk, which will cost $15,000. He says he saw a suggestion on Facebook from someone who said that rather than using specialized paint, they could instead rip up the crosswalk and pour in dyed concrete to make the crosswalk.

"That sounds like a much cheaper option than the one that was proposed and accepted," he said.

Johnston says it's important for people to be heard through the budget process and the council could do more to ask residents for their thoughts.

Sandra Lemieux

"Everybody has tax increases," Sandra Lemieux said. "It's something that has to happen in order to maintain the budget."

There were a few budget items Lemieux says she was "not too thrilled about." That includes building a new park in the Highland Ridge Park area, which she says is too close to Victoria Park.

"I think there's a lot for kids to do now," she said. "Families do travel to different places. They just don't go out their front door and walk across the street to the park."

She also questioned $200,000 for a new traffic calming program.

"I don't understand what that is. Just the word calming seems a little bit out there," she said. "I don't think I would be totally up for that."

She says she does support council's move to replace aging infrastructure.

"I'm for replacing anything that could be damaging or is falling apart or is 50 to 100 years old," she said.

Vandan Patel

Vandan Patal would like to see Cambridge invest in something to bring people to the city, perhaps like a water park.

He says right now, to go to Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, it's a long trip there and back.

"Why we cannot put an amusement park in my ward 7," he said.

"Put the money here," he said, noting that bringing people to Cambridge will mean they'll eat at restaurants, shop in stores and generate money for local businesses.

"[There are] beautiful spots here in Cambridge," he said, adding the city is becoming known as a place to film TV shows and movies.

"Why don't we think about this more, make a tourist place, and generate our income then after there are no tax issues," he said. "We can do it and we have the ability to do it."

Simon Weresch

Budgets are always difficult because "everyone will have different opinions," Simon Weresch said.

"For myself, I would have liked to have seen a bit more emphasis put on housing and tenancy," he said. "But I do understand that that really needs to be in consultations with provincial funding as well."

He says no one likes to see taxes go up, but he thought council did a good job of looking at possible ways to make cuts and find efficiencies while also improving on services.

"I was encouraged by specifically, more attention being paid to upgrading recreational facilities in our city and that's been a long time coming," he said.