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Guelph's projected tax increase for 2026 currently sitting at 7.66 per cent

GuelphToday

22

So Cam and Council could make a bold move by stopping the New Library till the library has a 0% increased budget (or not allowing the library folks to move into the Guelph built building). Force the library to put overdue fees back in place rather than allowing people to keep books for an endless time period without penalty, maybe I'll then bring mine back. These people need a dose of reality - live within your means, full stop!

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Town hall shares thoughts on Guelph's 200th anniversary celebration plans

GuelphToday

14

More unnecessary and wasteful spending. Not a single city penny and only a few city paid staff hours should be put towards this effort. If staff have the time for this one time effort, they need to be laid off or paid hours reduced afterwards. If the general public wants a celebration let those folks put up the funding. All city funds need to be focused on TRUE public needs!

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City tax increase to break 8% as boards seek more money

GuelphToday

22

The mayor outta step-up and use his powers to demand / force a 5% deduction in city spending without impacting critical services, it can be done, just need to will to do it.

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Councillor Dan Gibson considering run for mayor

GuelphToday

19

By having the lowest attendance of all councilors he doesn't seem to care much about representing those that elected him.His background appears to be government focused and shows no real efficiency management results. Will he force zero city tax increases starting next year or continue with current? Will he force efficiencies within city hall - what and how? What will he want to cut and/or expand? Will he force city hall to publish a detailed spending plan (e.g. every pencil, every vehicle replacement, every cellphone and its plan costs, every computer and its location etc. etc.). What will he actually commit to? Why should anyone vote for him?

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ICYMI: GuelphToday poll shows Liberals in lead locally

GuelphToday

10

It’s truly disappointing to see so many people with such short or selective memories. The Liberal government ignored the reasons behind the 2016 Tariffs (NATO obligations and US Trade deficit as clearly outlined by Trump in 2016-2018) and somehow forgot about the 2018 USMCA agreement. They failed miserably at protecting the country by ensuring USMCA compliance by companies within Canada. After those 2016 tariffs they failed to help businesses diversify outside the US and instead kept all of Canadas' eggs in one basket. Had this negligence not occurred, the current round of tariffs would not exist. They call it the "crisis of our lifetime" and ignore the deaths from Covid, SARs, 911 and various wars over the 60 year Mark Carney lifetime. The Liberal incompetence created the current issues while their election efforts target tariffs alone and ignore root causes.

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OPINION: Guthrie plays it too safe in dull State of the City

GuelphToday

15

There has been little effort over the past 12 years to reduce city spending, using emergency and reserved funds for unexpected emergency purposes only, adopting any type of good management structure or being fiscally responsible. Instead of bolstering reserve funds the mayor himself has placed Guelph between a rock and a hard place yet continues to blame others for his failings. The election can't come soon enough - providing the public does a bit of research and gets out to vote.

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Guelph’s 2026 property tax hike finalized at 7.87 per cent

GuelphToday

15

Staff at city hall (starting at the top) is demonstrating no concern or knowledge in implementing efficiencies. They do ensure they keep the status quo by spending their entire budgets. The city does not published a monthly or yearly detailed spend (eg every box of pencils, paperclips, nut and bolt etc etc) demonstrating a complete lack of transparency. The budget managers are showing no ability to uncover and eliminate wasteful spending and activities. City hall needs a complete organizational restructuring. Guelph needs to focus on being the best rather than being better than the worst. Council, and certainly the mayor, are proving to be lacking in real efficiency knowledge and abilities while they continue to attend workshops and compare Guelph to other inefficient cities, setting the bar low. Hopefully knowledgable people will step forward for council and mayor positions and hopefully the voting public will actually do some research and elect adequate people.

Weddings on hold at city hall due to upcoming election

GuelphToday

12

It'll be nice to see that credit on our tax bills for the reduced service!! They have prepared for elections over nearly 200 years. Other than the list of names, what changed for this election requiring nearly 9 months of time and closing a Friday service - maybe just a poorly organized clerks office? Did council approve this?

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City lawyer: waiving fees for student housing a 'windfall' for developer at taxpayer expense

GuelphToday

Let's do some basic math as this may be an example of yet another reason for limited/delayed house starts elsewhere.Option1: Impose new development fees, current developer backs out, no one else builds, land sits vacant for next 75 years - similar to last 50 years, City tax take = $0.0, all other Guelph tax bills increase to make up for the $15MMOption2: Proceed with previous understanding of reduced / no development fees, building gets built, taxes get collected for next 75 years, no other tax bills increase: City tax take = a bit north of $0.0.I choose option 2.

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Mayor wants property owners to be responsible for removing graffiti

GuelphToday

7

One persons graffiti is any persons art and/or freedom of expression/speech, Does the mayor and/or a few staff think they know what is art and what is not? Or are grey cement walls just better in some minds? Does the city have an abundance of taxpayer cash to fight this to the supreme court. Perhaps the city should encourage the graffiti makers to use their available and "free" time/skills into "who can make the best art/murals" competitions - with it being voted on by the residents.

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Mayor warns tax increase could rise above eight per cent

GuelphToday

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Perhaps post on the Guelph website the line item detail of where the money is going and why. By line item detail - vehicles, all other equipment, consultants, auditors and contractors costs, chairs, desks, replacement laptops, screens, building improvement costs etc. etc. etc. Include the age and mileage of vehicles that are being replaced, age of computers that are being replaced. Number of cell phones/cell plans, and why the city employee needs to be available after hours. So many opportunities for transparency, so many opportunities for savings!

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VIDEO: Time for a ‘nationwide conversation’ on changing our clocks

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Did you know this was first introduced in Port Arthur Ontario in 1908, and later adopted by most of the country the US and Europe. It's not much of a concern or problem, there are other more important things to work on.

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Minister Joly makes stop in Guelph following auto strategy announcement

GuelphToday

The outlined auto policy is immature at best and in need of a vast revamp, the gov't has failed us again. The $5k credit will only keep manufacture and dealer prices $5k higher. The gov't needs to do much much better.

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Council eyes review of winter maintenance costs, service levels

GuelphToday

5

Completely correct and those external people should not have any ties (now or in the future) of providing any services to the City, so not KPMG or other financial auditors. BH6 - if internal people do an audit do you really think they will go against the grain of anyone that influences or oversees their pay raises or future promotions? There are many many external firms that conduct non-financial audits and reviews, and they are not over-the-top expensive if they are managed correctly.

'The way of the future': WDG Public health leading the way in AI adoption

GuelphToday

1

WOW, this is a very dismal attempt to utilize some technology in 2025. All the described concepts have been widely used in businesses for 20+ years. This is simple automation and processing. How has administration allowed themselves to get so far behind. Anyone describing these as AI is drastically misleading everyone else. Hope nothing was spent on consultants and everyone involved paid at the junior/learning level. Hope the board actually understands what they are not getting.

MP O’Rourke to host townhall on Wednesday

GuelphToday

Only 1 town hall on a Wednesday Eve when very few will show up due to work schedules or other commitments! Or just trying to minimize the audience while being able to publish positive town hall sessions???? Why not 3 with 1 held during a weekday and 1 on weekend?

ICYMI: GuelphToday poll shows Liberals in lead locally

GuelphToday

Re MrGuelphieThe federal government negotiates trade agreements with countries which allow businesses to sell their products, (see 1960 Autopac, 1988 NAFTA and 2018 USMCA). After the 2016 US Tariff wake up call the liberal government kept all Canadas' eggs in one basket and made dismal attempts at protecting the country by developing trade agreements with other countries.