Region of Waterloo opts not to cut encampment security funding during budget debate

The encampment in Kitchener on Feb. 5, 2025.

The Region of Waterloo continues to look at what they can cut from the 2025 budget to bring the tax hike down, but one item they’ve already ruled out is encampment security.

Council approved the 2025 operating and capital budget for regional services, which increased 9.48 per cent, in December. However, they promised to look for other service reductions to keep costs down.

A staff report put forward several recommendations, including fewer security guards at encampments in the region, like the one at Victoria Street and Weber Street.

Councillor Jim Erb was opposed to that idea.

“I think it’s important to remember that the security at all these locations is not just for around the outside,” he said at a meeting Tuesday. “It’s to protect the public, but also the residents that are inside, particularly places like University [Avenue and] Frederick Street.”

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic also disagreed with the proposal.

“Unless staff can demonstrate to me that the issues and concerns have been eliminated, and to the best of my knowledge that is not the case, that is not an area that, in my view, we should be targeting,” he said.

The Administration and Finance Committee ultimately decided against the security reduction.

They did, however, support several other service cuts, such as decreasing facilities maintenance, cancelling a review of council remuneration, reducing fan maintenance in Grand River Transit vehicles and police buildings, as well as scaling back on bus replacement parts by retiring older buses.

A proposal to reduce the region’s winter salt inventory was removed before the committee meeting and Wednesday’s snowstorm.

“We will not have reduced salt, we will make sure we have enough salt to do the job,” said Councillor Doug Spooner. “It just becomes a budget risk for end of year.”

The approved list will be put to regional council on Feb. 26 for final approval.