City Council · September 16, 2025 · Item 10.1
City of Guelph adopt the optional subclass for affordable rental housing in respect of the multi-residential (MT) and new multi-residential (NT) property classes. To be effective…
Main motion under the agenda item Multi-Residential Property Tax Subclass Discounts for Affordable Housing, 2025-415
Carried (12 to 0)
12 in favour, 0 against — unanimous
This was one of 4 motions on the same item
In the order council took them. A vote makes sense next to the ones around it.
- 1/4Main motionCity of Guelph adopt the optional subclass for affordable rental housing in respect of the multi-residential (MT) and new multi-residential (NT) property classes. To be effective…you are hereCarried (12 to 0)
- 2/4Main motionOn behalf of Guelph City Council, the Mayor send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing requesting that the Provincial Government consider current…Differs here: …and the Minister of Finance. That on behalf of Guelph City Council, the Mayor send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing requesting that the Provincial Government provide grant funding to municipalities that adopt the Multi-Residential Property Tax Subclass discount for Affordable Housing to reduce property taxes for all taxpayers in recognition of the substantial cost of affordable housing and homelessness support borne by municipalities. And that a copy of the letter be sent to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Ontario Big City Mayors and the Minister of Finance. That on behalf of Guelph City Council, the Mayor send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing requesting that the Provincial Government match the municipal discount provided through the Multi-Residential Property Tax Subclass for Affordable Housing for Education Property taxes. And that a copy of the letter be sent to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Ontario Big City Mayors and the Minister of Finance.no recorded vote
- 3/4Main motionOn behalf of Guelph City Council, the Mayor send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing requesting that the Provincial Government consider current…Differs here: …and the Minister of Finance.Carried (12 to 0)
- 4/4Main motionOn behalf of Guelph City Council, the Mayor send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing requesting that the Provincial Government provide grant…Carried
What was voted on
The motion in its exact words, as recorded in the minutes.
That the City of Guelph adopt the optional subclass for affordable rental housing in respect of the multi-residential (MT) and new multi-residential (NT) property classes. To be effective January 1, 2026. That staff be authorized to prepare the necessary by-law, to come into force on January 1, 2026, to adopt the aforesaid optional subclasses in respect of the multi-residential (MT) and new multi-residential (NT) property classes. That the subclass discount be set at 35 per cent at the time tax policy for 2026 is brought forward in the spring of 2026.
Moved by Councillor Caton, seconded by Councillor Richardson.
How the room voted
In favour (12)
- Allt
- Billings
- Busuttil
- Caton
- Chew
- Downer
- Gibson
- Goller
- Guthrie
- Hauser
- Klassen
- Richardson
What council was given
The staff reports and correspondence attached to this item. The summaries are written automatically, so you can tell what a document is without opening a ninety-page PDF.
- Multi-Residential Property Tax Subclass Discounts for Affordable Housing - 2025-415.pdf
Recommends Guelph take up a new provincial option to cut municipal property taxes on qualifying affordable rental apartments, effective January 1, 2026, with the discount set at 35 per cent when 2026 tax policy comes forward. Units must meet the provincial definition of affordable and be covered by an agreement with a government body. The school portion of the tax bill is unaffected, and a by-law must pass by September 30, 2025.
A summary is this site’s description of a document, not the City’s. Open the document before relying on one.
What was said
714 words from the meeting recording, transcribed automatically. Times are from the start of the recording.
Read the debate(click to open)
37:04a closed session at 530 and we went into a closed session of council under uh two items the appointments
37:12to transportation advisory committee and economic development and tourism advisory committee
37:17and then also the other item was a non-union municipal employee group compensation review
37:24and so even though we had the discussion in camera we're actually bringing both of those
37:28items out here to vote on them publicly okay so I'd like to start with the appointments to the
37:35transportation advisory committee and the economic development and tourism advisory committee and
37:40councillor Caton is going to table that for us thank you um I'd like to table that Nicole
37:49debtler and chelsea nwals be appointed to the economic development and tourism advisory committee
37:54for a term ending november 2026 or until such time as successors are appointed and that joel
38:01meyer and chelsea edwards be appointed to the transportation advisory committee for a term
38:05ending november 2026 or until such time as successors are appointed great anyone want to
38:13do help me second that one councillor hauser will second that for us thank you anything further on
38:18that hearing none i'll call the vote on that is anyone against those appointments
38:24none that's unanimous so we'll move on to the second one i'll go to councillor
38:29galler to table the non-union municipal employee group compensation review
38:33motions please go ahead through worship that staff be directed to update the list of comparator
38:39municipalities used for all future comparison extra spaces including city council renumeration
38:45and the executive team is delegated to update the list as required two that staff be directed to
38:51conduct a market survey to determine competitiveness of the city's non-union municipal employee
38:56group benefits and three that staff be directed to conduct a total compensation reviews pain
39:02benefits instead of only salary reviews in accordance with the established schedule every four years
39:08thank you seconder for that one uh claustin we'll do that thank you so anything further on that
39:15one before i call the vote councillor gibson do you mind separating them please sure no problem
39:21all right i'm going to separate uh the vote for the first one so is anyone against that one
39:26okay just one councillor gibson so that passes may i combine both two and three together
39:35yes okay i'll call the vote on two and three together is anyone against those motions
39:40nobody that's unanimous that passes as well thank you very much so that's the summary for closed
39:45session for everybody uh so welcome now we'll call the meeting to order for our open session
39:51of council and we're going to start with uh if you're able to stand for recognizing our national
39:59anthem great thank you just as we continue a moment of silent reflection great thank you
41:45and for our territorial acknowledgement as we gather let us take time to reflect on the privilege
41:49to live and work here in guelph the city built over rich indigenous histories
41:53for guests here and to reflect upon the responsibility to care for the land and the people who live
41:57here today and the generations to come if our actions today can move us towards reconciliation
42:03we should take pause and make those decisions with intention and gratitude this place we call
42:08guelph has served as traditional lands and a place of refuge for many peoples over time but more
42:12specifically the anoan rock and the honan shoni the land is held as the treaty lands and territory
42:19with the mississaugas of the credit first nation and guelph lies directly adjacent to the haulderman
42:23track as part of a long established traditional hunting grounds for the six nations of the grand
42:28river many first nations inuit and matee people who have come from across turtle island call guelph
42:34home today now is there any uh pecuniary interest or any general nature thereof for the items in
42:42front of us today no okay so this is uh this is a moment where the mayor gets very embarrassed because
42:53uh i forgot all my notes on my desk upstairs so i am going to run upstairs
43:03i'm going to go to my room and clean it and find my notes and uh i realized halfway through
Automatic transcription is imperfect. Treat quotes as a guide and check the recording before relying on exact wording.
The motion, the vote and the debate come from the City of Guelph’s published record, reproduced rather than interpreted. The document summaries above are the exception: those words were written for this site.