Region’s 2023 budget invests in our community2 min read

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Region of Waterloo’s budget sets how we will support our growing community.

The 2023 budget was not an easy one, as Regional Council worked to balance affordability in the face of inflation while maintaining essential services for one of the fastest growing communities in Canada.

Council passed the Region’s 2023 Plan and Budget on Feb. 22. It sets us up to continue doing positive work to make the Region of Waterloo a great place where everyone can thrive. The plan and budget expands transit service, paramedic services, housing and homelessness supports, and accelerates initiatives to improve road safety for all users.

Highlights include:

• $163 million investment in housing and homelessness. This includes the continuation of the Interim Housing Strategy, increasing shelter capacity and accelerating new affordable housing developments, and a strategy to end chronic homelessness.
• $240 million investment in transit. This includes increases to service hours by 5 per cent to add additional weekend services, reduce crowding on routes, and restore University, College and iXpress routes back to pre-pandemic levels.
• $36 million investment to tackle climate change. This includes expanding the active transportation network and greening infrastructure, assets and facilities.
• $63 million for Paramedic Services. This includes purchasing four new ambulances, additional 12-hour shifts, and hiring 20 new paramedics.
• $12.6 million to improve road safety. This includes increased automated speed enforcement by adding eight new locations, increasing funding for signage and pavement markers and winter maintenance measures.
• $147.1 million investment in the regional road network. This includes modernizing traffic signals, street light upgrades, new sidewalks, roundabouts, and active transportation facilities.
• $40 million investment in the Region of Waterloo International Airport. This includes investments in parking, baggage handling, and additional airport firetrucks.

Each year, the budget is built upon the Region of Waterloo’s Strategic Plan, which is our roadmap to build the type of community we want to build together. Stay tuned! We’ll soon be updating the Strat Plan for 2023-2027.

Learn more here about the investments the 2023 budget makes in our community. Or read the summary below: