Taxes and Governance in Niagara
Where the money comes from,
where it goes, and who decides
Niagara Region 2013
Where does the money come from?
All the services provided by municipalities must
be paid for. There are five main funding sources.
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Property taxes
Rates
Service fees
Development charges
Federal and Provincial funding
What are property taxes?
• All property owners, both residents and
businesses, are required to pay a certain tax to
their municipality, based on the value of their
property
• Property values are determined by an agency
called the Municipal Property Assessment
Corporation
Rate Services and Fees
• Some services are paid for based on use
• Residents pay for water and sewage services by
paying a bill each year, calculated on how much
water they use
• Some services require a fee for residents to use.
Transit services are a good example – funded
through property taxes, as well as ridership fees.
Development charges and permit fees
• Development charges raise money from land
developers. This money covers the cost of
providing services to the lot (i.e. roads, water
and wastewater).
• Municipalities also require licenses for certain
business activities, which carry a fee
Provincial and Federal funding
• Some services are also paid for in part by the
Provincial and Federal governments
– Social Assistance
– Public Health
– Affordable Housing
Other sources of revenue
• Provincial Offences Court collects fines (i.e.
speeding tickets). Revenue is split between the
Region and the municipality the offence was
committed in.
Governance in Niagara
• Two-tiered municipal government
• Niagara Region (Regional government)
• Local Area Municipalities (towns, cities, townships)
– Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Niagara-onthe-Lake, Pelham, Port Colborne, St. Catharines,
Thorold, Wainfleet, Welland, West Lincoln
• Each has its own council and municipal employees
What is a council?
• A municipality’s powers are exercised on
behalf of its residents by a council, whose
members are elected by residents
What do councils do?
• Represent residents of the municipality and
provide programs and services according to
their needs and wishes
• Adopt a budget that identifies how much
money is needed to run those programs and
services, and where that money will come
from
Municipal Budgets
• Municipal budgets must be balanced, and
cannot exceed how much money was
collected. Municipal governments cannot run
deficits like provincial and federal
governments.
• Niagara Region manages a budget totaling
over $800 million
Municipal Elections
• Two ways of choosing representatives:
– At-large elections, or ward elections
At-Large Elections
• Also known as general elections, candidates stand for
election across the municipality and all residents in
that municipality can vote for any candidate
If all of Canada were one municipality, and provinces
were wards, all Canadians would be able to elect
Ontario’s premier
Ward Elections
• The municipality is divided into geographic areas
known as wards or districts. A limited number of
candidates are elected from each ward
• Only voters living within each ward can vote for
candidates running in that ward.
If all of Canada were one municipality, and provinces
were wards, only residents in Ontario would be able to
elect Ontario’s premier
Who does the electing?
• You are eligible to vote if you are:
– A Canadian citizen
– Age 18 or older
– A resident of the municipality, the owner or
renter of land in the municipality, or the spouse of
a resident, owner or tenant
Other ways to engage with your
municipal government
• Contact your councillors about issues you are
interested in
• Volunteer for citizen boards and committees
• Attend public meetings and engagement
opportunities
• Make a presentation to a committee or
council