Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question? You may find the answer on our FAQ page!
If you don't see your question here, drop us a line in the Questions & Comments section.
Have Your Say in Shaping Your Community's Future!
Your voice matters, and now is the time to make it heard! Each year, Niagara Falls residents are encouraged to participate in the City's annual budgeting process. Your input is crucial as we work together to create a budget that reflects your priorities and values for our wonderful community.
Get Involved!
Each year, the City invites input into the budget process, and we encourage you to participate in the 2025 Budget Engagement Survey below so that your input can help shape the budget next year.
Why Your Participation Matters:
- Community-Centred Budget: The 2025 budget is focused on three key areas that directly impact your daily life, from essential services to infrastructure development and public spaces:
- Operating Budget
- Water & Sewer Budget
- Capital Budget
- Transparency and Accountability: We are committed to transparency in our budgeting process. Your feedback will help us allocate resources effectively and ensure your hard-earned tax dollars are spent wisely.
- Your Vision, Your Future: Your insights will guide our decision-making process. Your thoughts on priorities will shape the budget that sets the course for our community's future.
- Inclusivity: We want to hear from every resident, ensuring all voices are represented. Your unique perspective is invaluable in creating a budget that serves everyone.
The survey is now closed. Thank you to those who participated!
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Take me to the FAQ!
Questions & Comments
Closed
We want to hear from you! Please leave your questions or comments, and the Finance team will be happy to reply. Because questions will be shared publicly, please avoid including personal information, such as an address. Thank you!
Open question
0 votes |
3 views
Looking for a chart every year from 2010-2025 total expenses/revenue/debt/debt payments/including HOLDCOs Large Expenditures would just be a list per year
Open question
0 votes |
7 views
I don’t feel like I can submit as q8 reads as heavily biased. The option ‘Pay more to replace a facility with minimal features but at a much higher cost to the taxpayer’, evidently points you to pick the alternative with the wording. It’s much more complex than one or the other: What is the facility? What are the features? What value does it bring and how does it tie in with other assets in its neighbourhood?
Answered question
0 votes |
17 views
What is the amount collected from building permits and Development Changes this year and the past 3 years for comparison? The building code act states that the amount collected in Development Charges is to be publicized for the public to see. Each year the Development Charges increases adding a lot more revenue to the city ever year.
Answer
The amount of Development Charges collected can be found here Development Charges | City of Niagara Falls, Canada under the Development Charges Treasurer's Statement.
Open question
0 votes |
10 views
Niagara Falls needs a stronger level of protection for our remaining natural spaces.
Answered question
0 votes |
13 views
Michelson pool (outdoor) lay empty all summer. It didn’t appear to have any cracks, etc. causing it to be unusable. So what was the issue? Again, North end residents were left without a pool where they and their children could cool down during our extremely hot summer temperatures. If we had an indoor pool in our area, problem solved. However, WHY was this pool left unused all summer? I’m sure we would all like to know why a seemingly useful pool was left empty all summer.
Answer
The repairs required for the EE Mitchelson pool are beyond the scope of annual maintenance. The pool required a minimum of $893,000 in repairs in order to open in 2024 based on a preliminary estimate. A report went to City Council November 14, 2023 to update on all City outdoor pools. The full report can be found here: https://letstalk.niagarafalls.ca/download_file/973/606.
Answered question
0 votes |
15 views
Q7. User fees. Honestly, I would be more inclined to mark statement #1 as my preference (but I didn’t) because we, as taxpayers, have already paid for these facilities. In some of the most progressive countries in the world (like Iceland) these would be free to its citizens. Here, we cater so much to the tourist that we, the residents, get the leftovers, if we’re lucky! We can do better! We would also be much healthier if we could freely avail ourselves of these activities/facilities.
Answer
Recreation, Culture and Facilities user fees cover approximately 25% – 50% of the facility operating costs. The user fees are comparable to other municipal recreation user fees. The City does offer free swimming at the outdoor pools, free access to the City’s outdoor tennis/pickleball courts, free access to the indoor walking tracks at the Gale Centre and the MacBain Community Centre as well as parks and trails.
Answered question
0 votes |
13 views
My comments would be that the region should be handling the homeless costs and operations. Outreach, shelters, camp clean up. Because Niagara Falls has better facilities (rightly so given the tourism aspect) and people from Other cities are being moved to Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls is bearing higher costs that really should be covered by the region in fairness. Also smaller communities where it makes no sense to have homeless services, end up sending to Niagara Falls. Steve Bremner
Answer
Thank you for your feedback!
Answered question
2 votes |
22 views
How much does the city pay in carbon tax? How much has this resulted in increased property tax for residences?
Answer
Hello!
In 2024 we paid approximately $100,000 in Carbon tax so far which is approximately a 0.1% tax levy increase or $1.85 on the average residential household.
Thank you for your question!
