Municipal elections are underway, included in that is the electoral race for the city of Waterloo’s two regional council seats besides the mayor’s. This year’s election is seeing a major focus on affordability and transparency from the Region of Waterloo, among other issues. Each candidate has their own take on these issues.
People running for this term’s seats include: Sitting councillors Jim Erb and Chantal Huinink, who are both seeking re-election. Newcomers include Sarvesh Pratap Singh, Chris Moser, Lindsay Manary, Soo Bok Lee and Rami Said.
Radio Waterloo interviewed Erb, Huinink, Singh, Manary, Lee and Said. Moser did not respond to the invitation for an interview.
We will publish a series of three pieces that highlight two candidates at a time. We asked each of the candidates the same questions and we will include their answers here.
This piece highlights sitting councillors Jim Erb and Chantal Huinink, who are both seeking reelection.
Candidate introductions were taken from the candidate’s own campaign communications where applicable.
dan kellar Kitchener, ON – As the Waterloo regional police ask for another $20,000,000 dollars to be added to their yearly budget, in addition to $173,000,000 for a new “communications centre”, residents and even some regional councillors are questioning the ballooning expenditures. A primary concern is that yearly multi-million dollar increases to the police budgets are starving other services of funding since council is pressured to keep tax increases low.
The Waterloo Region police budget, which was over $230,00,000 in 2025, has increased by more than $100,000,000 since 2014, and has more than doubled since 2013. This year’s request of over $250,000,000 will represent over 30% of the regional budget. In comparison, housing and homelessness services are budgeted at $165,200,000 for 2026.
The police presented their budget to the Regional Council at the end of November and in a council meeting on December 3rd council heard from the police association and residents. While the police say more money to the force and more cops “will help save residents” delegates noted that funding upstream services, such as housing options and mental health supports, have more impact on reducing crime than more armed cops with “boots on the ground”.
In a surprise move ahead of the budget vote on December 16th, Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic put forth a motion to block the police’s capital budget saying the new communications centre is “beyond their mandate” and it “is highly unlikely that all three emergency services would engage in this partnership in any foreseeable future”. However the same motion calls for the approval of the $20,000,000 yearly increase to the police budget.
This show features audio from both the December 3rd and November 26th council meetings.
dan kellar Kitchener, ON –
On June 21st, petition e-4993, Initiated by Chantal Huinink and authorized by MP Mike Morrice, closed with 3219 signatures. The petition wants the government to revisit the terms of the Canada Disability Benefit, and give increased support to more people in a less bureaucratic manner. While MPs have left Ottawa for the summer, the petition will be presented once the house of commons resumes activities in September.
In the 2024 budget, the federal government announced the benefit which would be a payment of $200 per month restricted to those who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. Payouts are to start in July of 2025.
This show features interviews with Waterloo Regional Councillor Chantal Huinink and Kitchener Centre Green Party MP Mike Morrice, responding to the implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit and discussing petition e-4993. Liberal MP for Nickel-Belt, Marc Serré, provided a short statement to CKMS News regarding the CDB.
