Property taxes in Waterloo Region and Woolwich Township are heading down a path that residents simply cannot afford.
With the region opting for a 5.1 per cent increase for 2026 and Woolwich proposing yet another large hike at 7.8 per cent, taxpayers are being asked – yet again – to shoulder hikes that far outpace inflation, wage growth and household budgets already stretched thin. These aren’t isolated bumps. They compound years of steep increases that have pushed property taxes to levels many families and businesses now view as untenable.
Municipal leaders often insist their hands are tied, pointing to rising costs, provincial mandates, and the pressures of growth. But at some point, leadership requires more than explaining why taxes must rise. It requires the courage to say “no” – to pet projects, to nice-to-have programs, and to the assumption that every new idea deserves public funding. That moment has arrived.
