Bid to block building of ‘Taj Mahal’ communication centre fails to gain ground at Region of Waterloo budget meeting

What will Waterloo Region’s residents be paying for in 2026? CTV’s Karis Mapp breaks down the police budget.

A Waterloo Regional committee has approved the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s proposed budget for 2026 and gave the go-ahead to build a pricey new communication centre.

The $272.6 million plan was $20.1 million more than last year’s ask. It represented approximately 30 per cent of the total tax levy for services in the Region of Waterloo, translating into an additional $57 for the average household next year.

Police funding was the first topic discussed at Tuesday’s Strategic Planning and Budget Committee meeting as council worked to finalize the region’s overall budget.

Councillors voted 13-3 to approve its operating budget, along with a plan to hire 20 new uniformed officers for the force.

The second part of the meeting, which covered the police service’s 2026 capital budget, proved to be much more divisive as it included a request to build a three-storey communications centre, to be completed by 2029. The total cost, which would be paid out over several years, came to $173 million.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic expressed his reservations about the facility and put forward a motion asking his fellow council members not to approve the police budget as it was currently presented.

Instead, he requested a rejection of the police budget so regional staff could work on a new version that would be “both more affordable and considers the overall debt load by Region of Waterloo taxpayers.”

“This is about the capital budget and what, quite frankly, is looking to be a Taj Mahal facility, when that is not what we need in order to serve this community,” the mayor explained.

Vrbanovic later clarified that he was not asking Waterloo Region Police not to build the facility, only to “pare it down to something that’s reasonable.”

The planned communications centre on Maple Grove Road would be 75,000 square feet and cost roughly $2,300 per square foot.

The initial plan for the building was to bring several emergency dispatch services, such as paramedics and firefighters, under one roof. However, all seven fire departments in the region declined the invitation, according to North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton.

Instead of building a new facility, Regional Councillor Colleen James asked whether police explored the option of leasing a property to house their communications centre.

Sandy Shantz, the mayor for Woolwich Township, explained that many locations were considered, including the regional courthouse.

“We need special security, we need special [information technology], and all of those pieces,” Shantz said. “Is it a Taj Mahal? I don’t think so. It’s set up to be more than just a communications centre; it’s also an operations centre.”

Other councillors also weighed in on the project.

Wilmot Township Mayor Natasha Salonen questioned whether the size of the proposed building was necessary, arguing that some jobs could become obsolete with the emergence of artificial intelligence.

“I see, and I certainly value the work that [the police board] is doing,” she said. “I also, looking at dollars and cents, have big concerns for all of the main asks… coming forward from a capital perspective, being put on our regional property tax base.”

Regional Chair Karen Redman argued the project was future-focused.

“Policing is more sophisticated because the bad guys are more sophisticated,” she said. “I think this is an investment that is really worthwhile. It was done with expert input. This wasn’t done on a whim.”

Redman, Shantz and Councillor Doug Craig voted in favour of the police budget. All three also sit on the board of directors for Waterloo Regional Police.

After hearing comments and questions from multiple councillors, the vote on Vrbanovic’s motion was tied at 8-8 and ultimately defeated.

Councillors passed the regional budget on Tuesday night during a special meeting, including the police service’s budget.