By Staff, CTV News Ottawa, November 4, 2020
OTTAWA -- Mayor Jim Watson and City Manager Steve Kanellakos have unveiled the 2021 City of Ottawa draft budget.
The draft operating budget comes in at $3.94 billion.
Council directed City staff to draft a budget that includes a three per cent property tax increase, which would add an extra $115 to the average property tax bill next year for urban residents or an extra $88 for rural residents.
The water rate is going up by 4.5 per cent for urban residents and 10 per cent for rural residents, which translates to approxmiately $37 dollars next year for urban residents and $7 for rural residents. Urban residents pay water, wastewater and stormwater fees, while rural residents who are not connected to the water system only pay stormwater fees.
(... environmental & transportation items)
Environment
- $8.7 million to cap Stage 3A of the Trail Waste Facility
- $3 million to enhance and retrofit facilities and reduce energy use, costs and greenhouse gas emissions, with an average eight-year payback
- $1.5 million to plant 125,000 trees
- $1.2 million for solid-waste projects, including expanding the recycling in parks pilot
Transportation
- $12.6 million to improve active transportation facilities through the Ottawa Pedestrian and Cycling Plan
- $4 million to implement the Strategic Road Safety Action Plan
- $806,000 to implement temporary traffic-calming measures
- $523,000 to improve road safety
- $512,000 to install pedestrian crossovers
- $500,000 to improve technology and support development of a bike-parking program