Niagara Candidates Back Affordability, More Housing and More Efficient Local Governments

Your candidates. The issues. Their answers. Niagara Business Alliance (NBA) releases 2026 Municipal Candidate Survey results.

(October 14th, 2026 – ST. CATHARINES, ON) — The Niagara Business Alliance (NBA) today released the results of its 2026 Niagara Municipal Candidate Survey, showing a shared focus among participating candidates on affordability, economic growth, housing and better value for municipal tax dollars.

The results include 169 candidate submissions from across all 12 Niagara municipalities. They show particularly strong agreement on practical steps to make local government more efficient, accountable and responsive while protecting the services residents and businesses rely on. Affordability stands out in the priority rankings with 74.0% placing the cost of living and affordability among their top three municipal priorities, while 62.1% put keeping property tax increases low in their top three. On the property tax question, 91.1% favour keeping increases at or below inflation.

The survey also identifies support for concrete housing measures. Some 59.2% agree that development charges and other growth-related fees should be reduced to encourage more attainable ownership and rental housing. Approval timelines with performance targets are supported by 69.8%, while 61.5% support reducing unnecessary studies and reports. On attracting investment and creating jobs, 50.3% selected investment in roads and infrastructure and 48.5% selected reducing municipal red tape. These were the two most frequently selected actions in the question of economic competitiveness.

Among respondents, 97.0% support expanding shared services and joint procurement where costs can be reduced without reducing service levels. A further 92.3% support a comprehensive service and spending review during each council term, with public reporting on savings, 91.7% support measurable service standards and public performance reporting and 85.8% support a single online portal for permits, licenses and approvals. The opportunity for all candidates elected on October 26th is to turn these commitments into action by putting a focus on more attainable homes, economic growth, investment in infrastructure and municipal services that deliver better value. By publishing candidates’ responses, our goal is to support the democratic process and help residents and our members make informed voting decisions.

The NBA invited registered mayoral and councillor candidates across Niagara’s 12 municipalities to participate through individual survey links. Participation was voluntary. The results describe those who responded. They are not a poll of Niagara voters or an election forecast. The NBA is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates through this survey. Candidate responses are available at 2026 NBA Niagara Municipal Candidate Survey Report.pdf