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An elction without issues? Waterloo Mayor Marjorie Car- roll doesn't think so. - During an interview last Monday we asked the mayor to list the most important problems facing the new council. "I don't believe for a minute there are no issues," she said "and the budget is definitely the biggest." The mayor pointed to the fact the bank interest rate has once again gone up; the anti-inflation board controls have come off and wage settlements will likely increase; and there is no hope of provincial grants increasing. "The mes- sage is coming through loud and clear from the province: the money isn't there." ... 0 s"e, -A; -AHI LAIA nu. RICHARD BIGGS a“ my“-.. .-.. - -.--, -. To maintain our present quality of life, and still hold the line on taxes, is yirtually impossible the mayor said, since a freeze on hiring still mean about a 10 per cent increase in expenses. New city services such as the rink in the park, the crematoriumoed the duties performed by the newly hired ELSIE CAMPBELL ROBERT HENRY BLAKE HULL WALTER McLEAN - Waterloo Chronicle. WMV, Noam”: O. 1970 Mayor Carroll viewsthe 'itsytrt The Budget: How would you keep taxes efown and services up? "Waterloo has always en- joyed a good financial man- agement. As an alderman I would continue in an air of financial restraint. and any new community projects would have to benefit all taxpayers." “The mayor herself would be well advised to ask each municipal department to in- stitute a cost reduction pro- gram when, and if, serious financial difficulty is en- countered through declining grants and cessation of in- nation control. I suggest running the city as a business, using every- body's innovative abilities "It will be the most im- portant item council will have to tackle. There will be at least two new people. Last year the budget was cut to the bare essentials. and unless there is an in- crease in assessment we'll have a tough time. We may have to cut back on some services." "Services will be main- tained at a high level by using revenues gained from our moderate, controlled growth. Using zero base budgeting, we will constant- ly examine existing pro- grams to be certain their ex- istence is justified" “We must continue a cau- tious approach toward spending, There are two fac- tors which will greatly con- tribute to our holding the line in terms of any major tax increases We had a good year in new building construction and can expect an assessment increase Also, due to restraint exer- eised this year. we should have some surplus at the year end Both should help us hold the line on taxes .. Water supply, the cost of watepand its effect on con- trolling development in the Waterloo area is another major Aconcern expressed by the mayor. She would like to see coun- cil demand proof ofadequate water supply before sub- divisions are allowed to proceed. T arborist have all added to the municipal payroll. Provincial funding could even be decreased, it,',, mayor said, and. the only thing left to do would be to ise local taxes. Or, as an alternative. she asked, "are the citizens prepared to face a cut-back in services?" Recognising that "growth demands services." the mayor would like to see a freeze on municipal hiring. "Financially," she said "we are facing an extremely tough year." "GirasTnk 1h}; Gestion of density in Waterloo's core area, the mayor said there has been a lot of money poured ulna. was. nus-1v- .n-n. ___--- ._.._ 7 - - _ _ in, in the form of new commercial development, and the city will be contributing to the development. "But where As a source of How do you feel Do you favour water, which do about high rise the present tax you prefer, the development assessment in West Montrose In the Waterloo or dam or pipeline downtown some form of to Lake Erie? core? tax reform? The West Montrose dam is not a long term solution to the problem. It might be adequate in the short term and it has the added feature of combining flood control. However, the region will have to look at an alternate source of water supply. I prefer a pipeline to Lake Huron which could be shared by London and other places along the route." I am aware of the problems that beset a com- munity when land is expro- priated for dam develop- ment. Cost-wise the pipeline seems exhorbitant. and would close access to unch- Iorinated water. Maybe re- moval of effluent in a recy- cling program would also be impractical. The decision requires careful study." "In the end it will have to be the pipeline. even with tthe increased costs. I prefer bringing the water from Lake Huron. "Although it is more expensive, it is more important to look at the long run with important matters such as water." “As our first option we should be doing more to con- serve our existing water supplies. Nevertheless. at this time the West Montrose dam appears to be the more appropriate long range op- tion." I believe we must be planning. but I accept the report that we will not need additional water until 1990, I'm more disposed towards the dam. if needed. since lie never seen any costs on the pipeline, and the en- vironmental impact would be larger from the pipeline than the dam Any proposal lo bring water from Lake Erie - which Is one large sewer Is preposterous If from anywhere. we should bring ll from Lake Huron "I'm not in favour of lo- cating any buildings that would exceed three storeys in the downtown residential areas, but I do believe there is a need for further deve- lopment of commercial complexes in existing com- mercial or industrial zones. "Almost all downtown cities have grown vertical- ly. Marsland Centre is, in my opinion, an asset in the beautification of Waterloo. I would not vote for such a building program, until all the facts of parking. traffic control. design of roads and buildings were considered by th residents and mer- chants of the core. “If you have to choose be- tween locating high rise on the city perimeter or in the downtown core, you can't have your cake and eat it. If you want to save the farm- land, you are faced with higher density in the cities, and that density should go in the form of high rise in the downtown area. You should be careful where it goes, but downtown is the most rea- sonable place to put it. 0th- erwise you have increased traffic and other problems. "High density - not high rise - development is ne- cessary on the very expen- sive land in the core area. However, this doesn't ne- cessitate high rise develop- ment that would be de- trimental to the established neighborhood, ., “I support the aim of the downtown central plan to seek a good balance. We need some high rise, but not at the expense of the down- town stable residential areas. We need a good mix. and to get this balance we should be looking at each new proposal on its In- dividual merit TP are the people? It comes right down to building height res- trictions." she said. "How are we going to attract people without accommodation?" The mayor expressed surprise thaLno one is talking about tax assessment inequities. The present council voted to hold oft any form of tax reform in Waterloo until 1980 in order to allow the city staff and politicians time to study and observe the problems experienced by other municipalities during 1979. "We want an orderly implementation" of whichever tax reform is decided upon for Waterloo, said the mayor "and it's not just a staff fynction: the politicians will have to explain to the citizens the impact of assessment reform. .. - Based on the mayor's stated priorities of budget. water supply, downtown density and tax reform. the Chronicle prepared the follOwing list of questions and interviewed the 12 aldermanic candidates. “Reassessment of taxes will cause an increase in some older properties re- moving the question of in- equality. The inequities are not as-apparent as they are in Cambridge. but they do exist. Once other communi- ties have introduced a form of market value assess- ment, Waterloo is going to find itself in a position where it has to' go along. “This is a controversial subject. Other cities have refused the study. Some- times it is more equitable to subsidize part of the com- munity with an unbalanced 'ax structure. Obviously large numbers of in- dividuals on fixed incomes. or struggling businesses suddenly becoming bankrupt would not produce an equitable system that is palatable "We need some form of reassessment and market value is a good way. The type of land tax relief that council is requesting from the higher levels of govern- ment is the best way to han- dle the predicament of those on fixed income. Taxes on the older homes are most li- kely to go up, and tax cre- dits or similar forms of re- liel' for owners with fixed in- comes should be handled by the higher levels of govern- ment with their bigger tax base." “We need tax reform be- fore we can implement mar- ket value assessment. Work must be done to make Cl- tizens aware that market value assessment when im- plemented with tax reform will mean lower taxes for most people." "We have good. low taxes in Waterloo at present, It has to be proved to us that our people will benefit by a reassessment. This is why council voted to wait a year We supported the full pack- age of property tax reform as well as tax reassessment We may be asking for trou- ble to reassess without re- form rm reluctant to take half the package as Kitchener and Cambridge dlll ' if you receive enough votes, will you sit on regional coun'cil? “If I was elected with a majority, if people show their support. I'd have to proceed with it." "Yes, I woyld enjoy the challenge and would be very interested in serving at the regional level." "At the present time. yes." "H I was elected to serve on regional council. I would do It." “Yes. Definitely yes