Category: General Posts

‘Statement that Cambridge’s 2024 residential property tax increase of 7.17 per cent was less than inflation because it represented a 2.58 per cent increase to the total tax bill, when inflation was running at 3.4 per cent, was misleading and incorrect,’ Property Taxpayers Alliance says CambridgeToday received the following Letter to the Editor from John…

The city website states that Mayor (Jan) Liggett will be leading the 2025 Budget and Business Plan process. In the release, Mayor Liggett was quoted as saying “I have invited council members to share feedback and ideas directly as they are hearing it from their communities, and to meet with me individually to create a…

Region of Waterloo to spend $150K on artwork for affordable housing buildings. I guess Region of Waterloo councillors and administration want this complex to stand out like a sore thumb. Have these people even considered the possibility that those who will be occupying these units might not appreciate the artwork? It seems that the region…

Attendees should not be required to fund a charity of the mayor’s choice, writes reader Rande Keffer of the Property Taxpayers Alliance. Posted in Cambridge Times August 22, 2024 I am writing on behalf of the Property Taxpayers Alliance (PTA) about the article “Mayor’s State of the City Address will be at soccer complex” published Aug. 21…

Dear Editor,I am writing you on behalf of the Property Taxpayers Alliance (www.propertytaxpayer.ca). The Federal, Provincial, and Region of Waterloo governments, are all contributors to the homelessness problem. It’s surprising that this topic never comes up in the media. After years of provincial government “rent controls”, it was no surprise that investment in building new…

On Tuesday, June 18th, John Waylett, Chair & CEO of the Property Taxpayers Alliance (PTA), was interviewed by City News talk show host Mike Farwell. The talk focuses in on the recent and outrageous 3 to 5 times inflation (8% to 13%) property tax increases being proposed by the Regional and Cambridge Municipal Governments for…

I am sharing with readers a letter received from a Cambridge resident addressed to the Mayor and Council. The individual requested to remain anonymous but ok’d the reprinting of the message. It talks in part about the City’s threat of “reduced services” if taxes are cut or held at inflation. This is a scare tactic.…

On March 8th the Property Taxpayers Alliance (PTA) met with Mayor Jan Liggett, City Manager David Calder, and Chief Financial Officer Sheryl Ayres. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss changes we felt should be made to the annual “Budget and Business Plan document” to significantly improve disclosure, transparency and readability. The PTA has…

City of Cambridge Mayor Liggett and councillors approved an average 8.4% increase in the 2024 municipal salaries, wages and benefits (SWB) budget. That’s 3 times the current 2.8% rate of inflation rate! Who among Cambridge’s property tax payers received an 8.4% wage increase in 2024? Its a slap in the face of hard working residents…

The Engage Cambridge Budget survey is conducted, interpreted and presented to residents by City staff. There is no objectivity or credibility in the survey results. Further, not nearly enough responses (only 133 in 2022 and 400 in 2024) are received to make the data useable (statistically significant) as a predictor of what the Cambridge population…