Category Archives: Budget

Conflict over Kitchener councillors’ potential $55,000 lawyer allowance

Posted on January 17, 2017 by

Read it and weep as council strums the budget blues During recent sessions, councillors faced the unpleasant but necessary prospect of raising costs of storm water by 9.2 per cent, sanitary/sewers by 10.8 percent and water by 7.6 per cent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Perks and Expenses, Transparency, Ward News | 1 Comment

Thirsty community gardens get $50,000 drink

Posted on January 27, 2016 by

In a city that is actively supporting community gardens as a way to grow healthy neighbourhoods and human relationships, there’s an ongoing thirst among green-thumb participants to ensure available, reliable water sources. Three of those 28 Kitchener gardens have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Cherry Park, Greener City, Neighbourhoods, Victoria Park, Ward News | 3 Comments

Decimated newsrooms serving up pablum journalism

Posted on January 26, 2016 by

In an era where newspapers die and decimated newsrooms continue to shrink,  it’s hardly surprising Kitchener residents are fed such a thin diet of daily-newspaper content. Pablum news is also dished up by our CBC outlet and other local radio-TV stations … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Journalism | 1 Comment

Bringing down the costly curtain on CEI

Posted on December 8, 2015 by

It had all the makings of a theatrical tragedy tinged with shades of ironic comedy. First act: Kitchener councillors this week heard a passionate appeal from the Multicultural Theatre Space, one of our most talented local theatre companies, asking us to reconsider a … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts & Culture, Budget | Leave a comment

Water, sewers are a bargain despite tax increases

Posted on November 25, 2015 by

While it’s nothing to be proud of and something I resent inheriting as a recent councillor, Kitchener, like other Ontario cities, has major infrastructure pains caused by rapidly rotting water and sewer pipes. And it’s  blatantly obvious that unless council becomes very proactive about … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Ward News | Leave a comment

Review of low-income housing incentives underway

Posted on February 26, 2015 by

Kitchener councillors voted unanimously this week to review a series of incentives that will help increase the city’s supply of low-income housing. The approval to hire a planning student who will assemble information about incentive-bonus housing programs used by municipalities came during … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Homelessness, Light Rail Transit, Low-Cost Housing, Neighbourhoods | 2 Comments

Non-elected board will spend $8-million of taxpayers’ cash

Posted on February 10, 2015 by

So much for voter accountability, government transparency and the public’s right to know how tax dollars are spent. Kitchener council last night (Feb.9) approved an economic report from staff that recommended council allow a non-elected board of directors to spend at … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Democracy Ward 9, Jobs, Regional economy, Transparency | Leave a comment

Building incentive plan will boost affordable-housing supply

Posted on February 4, 2015 by

Kitchener planners will this year continue to build a new incentive-bonus plan designed to boost the local supply of affordable housing. Working closely with regional government as well as Waterloo and Cambridge officials, the program will offer developers a smorgasboard of incentives that … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Homelessness, Low-Cost Housing | Leave a comment

Public deserves more budget information

Posted on February 3, 2015 by

“Public engagement is a key component of the annual budget process.” So reads the high-flying introduction paragraph on a 2015 council document distributed last night at a public-input budget meeting staged by Kitchener Council. At the end of the meeting I complimented members of … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Centre in the Square, Leisure activity subsidy cards, Low-Cost Housing, Perks and Expenses, Transparency | Leave a comment